Posted by BY J E SOLOMON
Super star Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers blamed his teammates, particularly Pau Gasol, for the team’s dismal performance in the fourth quarter of game 4 after an impressive 13-point lead against Oklahoma City Thunder last Saturday night. The Lakers lost the game 103-100.
In a post match interview, Bryant said Gasol was not aggressive and assertive enough. While that might be true of the typically less physical Gasol, however, Kobe is equally blamable for the Lakers’ loss. Five minutes into the fourth quarter, the Lakers had the game going well for them. Kobe was desperately making tough shots even as the double digits points lead began to trickle down. Most of the failed shots rebounded and the Thunder almost always grabbed the ball to launch counter attacks that either put the ball in the basket, or earned Thunder free throws that were easily converted. Kobe missed eight of his 10 shots in the last quarter.
A smart thing for Kobe to do under the circumstance was to change his game. He should have stuck with the game plan that had kept the Lakers in control for most part of the game and not abandon it. But he didn’t. If his teammates were not driving towards the basket, and there was hardly a single Lakers player upfront to contest offensive rebounds of his tough shots, it was, therefore, counter-productive for him to have kept on shooting the way he did.
Star players would usually take over games when their team effort is failing. Kobe is well known for that. Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, among others, would typically take over games in desperate effort to avert defeat. In this particular instance, the Lakers were still in command of the game as Kobe repeatedly missed most of his shots. In all, he made 12 out of 28 field goal attempts and zero of only two 3-point attempts.
Lakers head coach Mike Brown and his assistants, either out of respect for (or is it fear of) the Black Mamba, apparently looked on without doing anything to stop the ill-timed tough shots from Kobe. As a result, Lakers fans were forced to painfully watch a well-deserved lead not only wiped out, but a team surprisingly collapsing just final moments of a crucial game 4. And they would quickly blame it all on their beloved Kobe Bryant, not Pau Gasol. Ironically, Kobe didn’t see the role he played in that loss.
Gasol was not being aggressive. Yes. And Andrew Bynum was literally drowned in the second half by Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka. He would not use his height advantage and big guy stature to make drives toward the basket, like the way the Thunder players (Durant, Westbrook and Harden) were doing to reach the basket or earn free throws. The other Lakers players, too, would also not drive their way aggressively to the basket. In his frustration, Kobe made desperate efforts to find the basket regardless of the outcome.
Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Attest) said what was true with regard to the ugly loss, “Every single one of us played a part.” Yes, everyone from head coach Mike Brown, the assistant coaches, the entire players including, of course, Kobe Bryant himself.