Golden State Warriors spoil Kobe Bryant’s jersey retirement night in OT
The Golden State Warriors toughed out an overtime win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Kobe Bryant‘s jersey retirement night.
The Los Angeles Lakers put up a valiant fight Monday night to honor Kobe Bryant‘s jersey(s) retirement, but the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors were able to rally in overtime to steal the 116-114 win at Staples Center.
The Warriors push their win streak to nine, improving their regular season win/loss record to 24-6. They’ll come back to Oracle Arena on Wednesday to host the Memphis Grizzlies, kicking off Golden State’s 7-game holiday homestand.
Kevin Durant expectedly led the Dubs in scoring on Monday against the Lakers, dropping in 36 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, one steal and three blocks in 41 minutes. In Kobe’s honor, Durant shot horribly all night, going 10-of-29 from the field, 4-of-11 from behind the arc and 12-of-13 from the free throw line.
Klay Thompson posted 17 points, 10 rebounds and two assists in 41 minutes, also honoring Kobe with an abysmal 6-of-24 shooting performance. His outside game wasn’t much better, finishing just 4-of-13 from behind the arc.
Omri Casspi continued to impress, recording 14 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and one steal in 26 minutes off the bench. He shot 5-of-9 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Nick Young also had a solid night for the second unit, adding 10 points and two rebounds in 18 minutes on 4-of-8 shooting from the field, 2-of-5 shooting from behind the arc.
In yet another game without Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia, the Warriors struggled to find their rhythm offensively in the first half, securing a minuscule 4-point lead prior to Kobe’s halftime ceremony.
Golden State continued to shoot poorly in the second half, eventually finishing just 43-of-107 (40.2 percent) from the field and 11-of-34 (32.4 percent) from long range. The Lakers, on the other hand, shot 41-of-92 from the field (44.6 percent) and 10-of-25 (40.0 percent) from behind the arc.
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KD was one of the heroes of the game, icing the game for the Warriors with a midrange j at the top of the key. 12 of his 36 points were scored in overtime, leading the Dubs to victory. David West was the other hero, blocking Lonzo Ball‘s last-second attempt at the rim.
While there was a lot to like from the Dubs (and even more not to like), I only had one real takeaway by the end of OT: Curry and Green need to come back A.S.A.P., because that game was damn near unwatchable.