Kobe Bryant will play tonight after resting for two games. I'm not sure why Byron Scott feels so remorseful about letting Kobe play so many minutes earlier in the season. I think Byron feeling guilty for that is about as unnecessary as Sia apologizing for her Elastic Heart video. Sometimes the only way to know where a player is at (as far as energy, endurance, etc.), is as simple as trial and error. I think that's what Byron did. He watched Kobe and as he observed him getting tired, he limited his minutes. I wouldn't put any blame on Byron whatsoever in that regard.
As well, I'm not really sure I fully agree with Byron's decision to rest Kobe so much. It's become very unpredictable when Kobe will or won't play. In reality, most Laker fans wouldn't necessarily pay money for a ticket to watch a live game, if they know Kobe's not going to play. As well, it seems like it's harder for Kobe to get into rhythm when shooting, when he misses so many practices and games. I think the best game plan would be for Kobe's minutes to be limited, but I believe Byron's already doing that. There's no need to keep him out of practices or games. But that's just my humble little opinion.
Hopefully, Nick Young will have a good shooting night. He's been struggling quite a bit lately. Miami Heat is the worst rebounding team in the NBA right now. Hopefully, the Lakers can benefit from that. The Heat started out strong and they're taking the lead. The Lakers started out 0/9. This game is hard to watch. We're halfway through the first quarter and the score is 16-0. Kobe finally put the Lakers on the board making a shot. The Lakers missed their first 14 shots. This was the lowest first quarter score of the season for the Lakers. The first quarter score was 22-12 Heat.
Jordan Hill missed a couple of hook shots early in the game, coming up short. But it seems he's got his shot together now. The Lakers are the third worst three point defense team on the league and I can see why. Hassan Whiteside is having an amazing game. Whiteside, Miami's 7' Center, was signed by Miami in November. He played for the Sacramento Kings averaging a very low score of 1.5 points and 2.1 rebounds. But, on the D-League he averaged 22 points, 15.7 rebounds, and 5.3 blocked shots in three games this season. He's pretty fabulous! Dwayne Wade is out for the rest of the game for his strained left hamstring. Jordan Hill hits another hook shot. The Lakers are shooting under 25% but they're only down by 10 points going into the half. The halftime score is 44-34 Heat.
The Lakers are full of energy, as they come into the third with a win clearly on their mind. They're playing more aggressively in this quarter. The Heat is only up by a few now. I wish Kobe would shoot more. The Lakers stayed close for most of the third quarter but now they're down by eight. The Lakers are 1/16 behind the arc.
For being the worst rebound team right now in the NBA, the Heat has at least eight more offensive rebounds than the Lakers. Once again, the Lakers are trying to keep the score close. The Heat already has 19 turnovers. These Laker games just aren't the same to watch as when Kobe was dominating the game. Truly missing Kobe's high-scoring shooting nights, fancy footwork, and that Kobe that wouldn't sit out games because he was tired. Instead, he would play through two broken fingers and wounds all over his body. That's the Kobe I want to watch. This was the worst shooting game for the Lakers as a team this year.
Kobe hits a big three-pointer with 2:44 left in the game. Well, one thing is for sure, Kobe's still the best closer. The game is close. Kobe tried to hit it again, but missed. Both teams shot back-and-forth a bit, keeping the Heat in the lead with only a few seconds left in the game. With 31 seconds left, Kobe Bryant hits a three pointer, leaving the Lakers only three points behind. Too bad, too late. Heat wins with a final score of 78-75. Kobe's stats were 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. Ed Davis had 12 points and 8 rebounds. Jordan Hill had 12 points and 6 rebounds. Nick Young had 8 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists. Hassan Whiteside had 15 points and 9 rebounds. #GoLakers
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