NBA Wrap: Bryant stars as Lakers down Nuggets

Love him or hate him, Kobe Bryant is Denver’s National Basketball Association villain, and he deserves a proper farewell tour.

Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to his three pointer in front of Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Staples Center on December 23, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

The Los Angeles Lakers (5-23) are coming from a 111-107 win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.

“It’s not something I’m absolutely pressing for but being part of the Olympic experience is a handsome thing”, Bryant said. “I rested completely. My shoulder was a little too sore to be moving around”.

His offensive numbers were almost overshadowed by his defence.

As early as the first quarter, Oklahoma City built an insurmountable 20-point lead with a scoreline of 35-15.

In the first half of the Thunder’s eventual 120-85 romp over the Lakers, both players bit on one of Bryant’s pump fakes.

“I think the most important thing and the most lovely thing is how does your legacy impact the generation of players to come?” That’s the point.’ It felt good to get them with that one.

In Philadelphia, Marc Gasol scored 19 points for Memphis, and Mike Conley had 18 points and six assists.

The cheering continued throughout the night when he hit his 10 field goals and nine free throws. “It was really cool getting to hear the ‘Larry!’ chants, the fans screaming”.

Bryant said he’s looking forward to more matchups with the NBA’s top guns in his farewell season. Similar to what occurred two nights ago at the Pepsi Center against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Denver Nuggets could not find a way to stop an opponent on the road with a worse record. “[But] I can get to them”.

But the five-time National Basketball Association champion, known for being a demanding teammate and his ultra competitive nature, has been extra patient as the Los Angeles Lakers desperately seek to stay in contention in the Western Conference.

He also took the lead on defense when Barton re-entered the game with 7:27 left in the third.

During halftime after being asked by Lakers head coach Byron Scott, Kobe let him know he was willing to guard Barton in the second half. “We always look at guys’ facial expressions and we want them to be like straight-faced and always serious, but when the ball is in play, you’re going to play the game”. The Thunder are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Los Angeles. His three free throws with 3:48 to go extended the lead to 101-95. Gary Harris got the start at the shooting guard position for Mike Malone’s team, scoring 21 points on 9-15 shooting, but was -8 on Tuesday. “For us, we just can’t get to that level right now”.

Bryant flew high for an offensive rebound in the first quarter, pump-faked twice and scored on a high-arc baseline shot.