Fans had plenty of reasons to be worried about the Los Angeles Lakers hitting the road for eight straight games, and they were all justified. The team was struggling before they embarked on this long trip away from home, and this certainly didn’t help things.
The Lakers started out fast again tonight but burned out quickly as they were blown out by the Houston Rockets, 126-97. Leading the way was Kobe Bryant, who looked like he was back in 2012 by posting 25 points on nine-of-16 shooting, along with six assists and seven rebounds in 31 minutes. Bryant did not play in the fourth quarter.
Things have certainly improved over the last handful of games for the 37-year-old. He has been much more efficient and has created a number of good looks for his teammates. There’s no question that if we see this version of his game for the rest of his final season, that will certainly help the development of the younger players.
Gary and Matt discuss the vintage Kobe individual performance, the end of the road trip, and the play of the youth.
