Kobe Bryant had the power of the almighty clutch unicorn on Sunday, scoring six points in the final minute to give the L.A. Lakers a 94-92 win in a visit to the Toronto Raptors. Kobe had 27 points for the entire game, but his two most important shots came in the closing minute. With 57 seconds left and L.A. down four at 90-86, Kobe drilled a three from the left elbow. Fifty seconds later, he nailed a baseline jumper off the dribble to give the Lakers a 93-92 lead with less than five seconds remaining. He added a free throw and previously a steal and an assist to that final minute performance as the Lakers landed the road win.
Lakers Vs. Raptors: Kobe Bryant Summons Unicorn, Finishes Job In Toronto
Kobe Bryant filled the Air Canada Centre with rainbows in preserving the L.A. Lakers’ victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
It probably shouldn't have been that close, though, as the Lakers had substantial leads throughout the game. Jose Calderon, who finished with a career-high 30 points, led Toronto's fourth quarter comeback with a spate of jumpers. Toronto had a chance to exact revenge for Kobe's late jumper, but the Raptors couldn't get the ball inbounds within five seconds, drawing the rare but backbreaking five-second violation. That allowed the Lakers to inbound, which resulted in Kobe splitting a pair of free throws. The Raptors got an ugly three-point look at the other end, and it missed.
So ends L.A.‘s Grammy Awards road trip; Adele will let them back in the STAPLES Center now. The Lakers went 3-3 on the trip, and required a good deal of heartburn medicine. The three wins came by a combined seven points.
In other action:
See More:
