Scott Finally Admits Playing Lakers’ Youngsters Better For Long Term Rather

The loss to the Spurs was their seventh on the road, so they only have one more game in Houston on Saturday before they finally return to the friendly confines of the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Guard Patty Mills scored a season-best 22 for San Antonio (19-5), converting 9 of 11 shots.

Bryant met with Bob Williams before the game.

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (L) chats to coach Mike Brown during Game 7 of their NBA Western Conference basketball playoff series against the Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles.

The Lakers finished 1-7 on the 13-day trek, the lone victory coming against Washington on December 2.

Vitti remembered the effort even though the Lakers lost and Bryant made nine of 21 shots.

Aldridge scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in just 27 minutes as the Spurs defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 109-87 Friday night, improving to 12-0 at home this season.

A lack of depth and experience proved too much for the young Lakers to overcome but not before they gave the Spurs a few scares.

Bryant has captured four All-Star Game MVPs (2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011) over the course of his career and ranks first all-time with 280 points in All-Star competition, according to Basketball-Reference.com.

“It was great, for both of us, it was great (to see the young players step up)”, Bryant said of himself and Garnett. He’s just having fun, doing a classic Kobe impression (right down to waving off the pick to play the iso!), but then he airballs the finish, and now it looks like he was being an asshole about his legendary teammate. “We’ve had some epic battles”. He has been the team’s go-to guy for the better part of two decades and has made his mark as one of the greatest scorers and isolation players of all time. Had Bryant not announced his retirement, it could be an issue to have a below-average player getting a starter spot for the second year in a row.

The last time they met, Kobe Bryant called Dwight Howard “soft”.

Minnesota built its largest lead of 68-59 at nine points on Wiggins’ three-point play with 9:47 left in the third quarter before the Lakers slowly chipped away.

For most of the first half, both squads shot around 60 percent from the floor.

He said, “Man, I’ve admired him since I was growing up”.

Andre Miller (Point Guard), Nick Van Exel (Point Guard), Derek Fisher (Point Guard), Greg Anthony (Point Guard), Jalen Rose (Point Guard), Jon Paxson (Point Guard), Steve Blake (Point Guard), Danny Ainge (Point Guard/Shooting Guard), James Harden, Paul Pierce, Richard Hamilton, Joe Dumars, Dirk Nowitzki, Grant Hill, Andre Iquodala, Jason Terry, Manu Ginobli, Jon Starks, Vince Carter, Chris Mullen, Reggie Miller, Gail Goodrich, Julius Erving, Elgin Baylor, Tim Duncan,… and so on and so on.

In the first quarter Wednesday night, vintage Kobe entertained. Patty Mills was fantastic off the bench, with 13 points and three triples that helped the Spurs maintain a lead for most of the second.

Lakers: G Jordan Clarkson missed his second straight game with a sprained right ankle…. “But you know, I mean you can’t say enough about his legacy and what he meant to L.A. and just the fans, you know”.

Bryant had the best game to date in his 20th and final season, scoring 25 points and adding seven rebounds and six assists. Barring the unlikely event that the Lakers make the playoffs, Bryant will retire with a 3-2 edge over San Antonio in playoff series won in which he participated. Friday’s game will tip off at 8 pm CST.

“I knew it was respect”, LaVine said. “Every chance I get, I always sit next to him and bend his ear”.

Popovich smiled and applauded after Stanley finished singing.

“It’s like my rhythm is starting to come back a little and my legs are moving pretty well”, Bryant said. “Very appropriate and heartfelt”.