Raptors prove too good overall as The Black Mamba makes it through unscathed.
The Toronto Raptors spoiled the party for the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant in his return to the NBA, upsetting them at Staples Center 106-94.
Bryant showed signs of looking solid but his turnovers proved costly as he finished with nine points, eight rebounds, four assist and eight turnovers from 28 minutes of action.
The crowd roared the first time he touched the ball and they were again voicing their approval
as Bryant earned an early assist, as he found Robert Sacre on the inside.
Bryant’s first shot was a hook attempt from six foot out, and resulted in an air-ball.
The Raptors raced out to a 15-4 lead early as the home crowd was left stunned, in spite of Bryant’s return.
Normally the focus of the side’s offence, Bryant the facilitator was his role early as he looked to get his teammates involved.
Bryant played the first 7.03 minutes of the game and was quiet at 0-2 shooting with an assist and a steal.
Overall it was the Raptors quarter as they played harder on both ends of the court as they took a handy lead into the break.
Amir Johnson continued to be in-form to rack up 17 points in just 12 minutes mid-way through the
second quarter.
Bryant came back into the game with 7.37mins left on the clock in the second.
Pau Gasol had just 1-7 for the home side as they struggled to stop the Raptors from getting into the paint.
Bryant was back officially after hitting a single free-throw as he continued to show signs of growing confident with his body.
He then made his first field goal a short time later after driving to eight-feet and earning time with several head-fakes.
But Johnson for Toronto continued to almost be automatic from the field as he closed in
on his career-high with time left before half-time.
However, as if to sum up his promising but choppy first half, Bryant had his final shot of the
half blocked by DeMar DeRozen as they trialled 51-47.
Johnson was the story for the Raptors in the first half with 23 points on 10-13 shooting.
Amir Johnson is stealing the show in LA. He had 23 points in the first half. His career high for a game is 26. pic.twitter.com/mtnADXdajE
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 9, 2013
Kobe Bryant has 5 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast in 14 minutes. @Raptors 51, @Lakers 47 at halftime. pic.twitter.com/GOLBLbXI4P
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 9, 2013
The Raptors started the better of the two sides in the second half, as they again ran out to a double-diget lead.
Nick Young started to heat up for the Lakers though as they chipped away at the Raptors’ lead.
LA went on a 10-1 run at the end of the third term as they gained back some valuable momentum, but needed to carry that at the start of the fourth, something they had failed to do
in the beginning of all three quarters before.
Mid-way through the fourth quarter and still the Lakers bench did the bulk of the scoring for their side.
With the chant of “we want Kobe” ringing out, he checked back into the game with 6.53mins left i the game and the Lakers down 88-81, having already played 21 minutes, more than many tipped he would before the tip-off.
Bryant continued to show rustiness in his game as the turnovers continued to pile up with the Raptors fighting hard down the stretch.
LA’s defensive schemes continued to be sub-par as time ticked away with the Raptors either
finding an open shot or drawing contact and getting to the line as they rounded out a deserving win.
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