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 So when Bryant fired one final 3-pointer at Oracle Arena on Thursday
night, it was fitting that the 26-footer was off the mark.
That is the way things are these days between the Warriors and
Lakers.
Bryant missed 11 of his 15 shots during an eight-point performance
that is expected to be his last as an NBA player in Oakland, helping
enable the Warriors to pull away from the Lakers for a 116-98 win
and a 37th consecutive home victory.
Point guard Stephen Curry bombed in 24 of his game-high 26 points on
3-pointers, propelling the Warriors (37-3) to a seventh straight
home win over the Lakers (9-32).
"We knew going into the game that (the Warriors) were going to honor
him, like they should," Curry said of an unpolished Golden State
effort that followed a lengthy pregame ceremony for the future Hall
of Famer. "It's well deserved."
The Oakland fans treated Bryant like one of their own -- rather than
the one that got away in the 1996 draft -- before and at times
during his 33rd NBA appearance in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Warriors selected North Carolina State center Todd Fuller 11th
overall 20 years ago, two spots before the Charlotte Hornets took
Bryant and dealt him to the Lakers.
Bryant responded to his rare Oakland show of appreciation with a
poor shooting night, but he did find time for six rebounds, three
assists, two steals and a blocked shot in 27 minutes.
Bryant's eight points were far under the 27.1 average he accumulated
in his first 32 ventures into enemy territory in Northern
California.
"This place has always been a special place to play," he said. "To
have that appreciation from tonight was pretty awesome."
Bryant managed only two points in the third quarter while the
Warriors were extending a three-point halftime advantage to 86-72 by
period's end.
Curry had a hoop and two assists in a 13-2, quarter-closing run as
the Warriors pulled away for a third straight win this season in
games that immediately followed a loss.
Golden State fell 112-110 at Denver on Wednesday night.
Curry finished 9-for-18 from the field overall and 8-for-16 on
3-pointers. His only 2-point hoop came on his second dunk of the
season.
"Feast or famine. It's all threes or dunks for me," Curry said with
a chuckle. "I like to make it hard on myself."
Reserves Shaun Livingston (season-high 17) and Leandro Barbosa (15)
combined for 32 points for the Warriors, who improved to 19-0 at
home this season.
Power forward Draymond Green, who sat out Wednesday's loss for a
rest, had team highs in rebounds (nine), assists (five) and steals
(three) to go with seven points.
Golden State outscored the Lakers 39-12 from beyond the 3-point arc,
hitting 13 of 33 while Los Angeles was missing 20 of 24.
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"It's their time," Bryant said of the Warriors, the defending NBA
champions. "It's their time to step up and play and see how many
championships they can win. See how many gold medals they can win.
"I had my run, and now it's important for them to go ahead and carry
it forward."
Point guard Jordan Clarkson had 22 points and backcourt mate Lou
Williams added 21 for the Lakers, who were coming off a home win
over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.
The Lakers also got 14 points apiece off the bench from point guard
D'Angelo Russell and power forward Julius Randle.
Bryant was much more effective on the defensive end than on offense,
limiting Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson to 12 points on
4-for-14 shooting.
He played 27 1/2 minutes, leaving to a standing ovation shortly
after missing his fourth consecutive 3-point attempt with 3:04 to
play.
"I knew he was going to probably struggle a little bit because of
the way they play," Lakers coach Byron Scott said. "I really wanted
to put him out there (toward the end of the game) because I wanted
him to get that ovation. I wanted him to get the gesture that he
deserves."
Message delivered, according to Warriors interim coach Luke Walton.
"It was a special send-off," Walton said of his former teammate.
"Whether or not he had one last 3 tonight really doesn't matter."
NOTES: The Warriors (43-for-86) shot 50 percent or better from the
field for the 17th time this season. ... Golden State is 10-1 in the
second half of back-to-backs this season. ... Lakers SG Kobe Bryant
has a 27.3-point career scoring average against the Warriors, having
totaled 1,800 points in 66 games, the most he has scored against any
NBA team. ... Warriors executive board member Jerry West, the
Lakers' president who orchestrated the draft-day trade that landed
the high-schooler in 1996, labeled Bryant "one of the 10 top players
of all time, probably higher." ... Bryant and Warriors interim coach
Luke Walton won two championships (2009 and 2010) as Lakers
teammates. ... Golden State drafted Joe Bryant, Kobe's father, with
14th overall pick of 1975 draft.
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