NBA scores 2015: Kobe Bryant comes alive to bury Wizards with clutch shots

Kobe’s throwback effort in D.C., another Steph Curry scoring barrage and everything else from Wednesday night in the NBA.

by Satchel Price

Dec 3, 2015, 2:00 PM UTC

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Kobe Bryant didn't wait too long after announcing his impending retirement to reach back and deliver a classic performance, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot late to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 108-104 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. Just three days after Bryant told the world this would be his final NBA season, the future Hall of Famer gave us a reminder of why his last few months in the league are such a big deal.

In a career defined by incredible moments and amazingly timed shots, Kobe’s had a tough go the first few months of the season. He’s looked slow, albeit determined, and the resulting performance has often been disheartening to see. Kobe is sure to go out his way. That doesn’t mean deferring to younger players simply because the farewell tour has begun. That might lead to some cringe-worthy moments, but other times like Wednesday, it can turn into nostalgic basketball bliss.

Bryant finished the game with a season-high 31 points on 10-of-24 shooting from the field. He was also 4-of-11 from three-point range and 7-of-8 from the free throw line, although his box score was otherwise light with just three assists and two rebounds in 36 minutes. Still, it was easily the Lakers guard’s best performance in a season where he’s shooting 31 percent overall.

Kobe didn’t just lead the Lakers over the Wizards in D.C., he did it in classic Kobe fashion by nailing big jumpers late when everyone knew he’d be the one shooting. It might not always be the most logically sound strategy, but Kobe’s hero ball never ceases to entertain.

By the end of the game on Wednesday, fans in the nation’s capital were loudly cheering his name, even though their struggling franchise just lost to one of the worst teams in the NBA. That’s the kind of respect Kobe demands in cities where he’s often torched opposing teams.

John Wall also had a big game, leading all scorers with 34 points on 11-of-19 shooting. He also added 11 assists for a double-double, although the Wizards falling to 7-9 on the season is concerning considering the high expectations after back-to-back playoff appearances. This was a highly winnable game, even with vintage Kobe on hand, yet the Wizards allowed LA to earn its third win of the season.

The last few months of Bryant’s career won’t always be pretty, but Wednesday was a reminder of how high the highs are. When Kobe is on and gunning like he was in the waning moments against the Wizards, it’s hard not to wish he would just keep playing forever. Even though these nights are becoming few and far between, we’ll have to appreciate them before they’re gone.

3 things we learned

Steph Curry can even make Hornets fans cheer for him

It can be brutal watching an opposing player go off on your team, but sometimes, you just have to show respect to greatness. That's what the Hornets fans at Time Warner Cable Arena did Wednesday as Curry went off for a monster 28-point third quarter in Charlotte. On a night when the Hornets were honoring the Warriors superstar's father, Dell, the younger Curry had the arena cheering for him, too. That's not always easy to do, even in the town where you grew up, but we all know by now that Steph isn't like other players:

Curry finished Golden State’s 116-99 victory with 40 points on 14-of-18 shooting. He was also 8-of-11 from three-point range, which is just one fewer made three than the entire Hornets team on 20 fewer attempts. Charlotte’s whole starting lineup scored just 33 points.

Now the Warriors are 20-0, the first team in NBA history to reach that record. At this point, it’s hard to figure out what Curry and Golden State can’t do.

PG and the Pacers are back

The story around Indiana's resurgence has been building over the past few weeks and hit a new high note Wednesday with the Pacers' 103-91 win over the Clippers. The team has now won six straight games, including four on the road, and has sole possession of second place in the Eastern Conference with a 12-5 record. The Pacers have lost just twice since the beginning of November and look to have gotten past their initial issues in the new system. It's not that long ago that Paul George was expressing concern about his new role, but some tweaks and time have shown that maybe Indiana made the right choice by moving on from Roy Hibbert and the slower, more defensive-oriented system he was a central part of.

George was his old, dynamic self in Wednesday's win, too. The forward led all scorers with 31 points on 9-of-23 shooting, including 5-of-9 on three-point attempts. He also added 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals, plus he committed zero turnovers. It's the kind of efficient performance we started to see often from George before his broken leg limited him last season, and now that he's rounding back into form, Indiana's quickly becoming a menace in the East again.

Reggie Jackson is still streaky

When the Pistons' point guard looks good, he looks really good. Jackson was electric with 34 points and 16 assists in a 127-122 overtime win over the Suns on Wednesday, just two days after he scored 31 in a win over Houston. However, that comes after a weekend in which he shot just 8-of-36 from the field in two losses. Jackson's inconsistency is one of the biggest things holding back Detroit from making a real run toward the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

In the Pistons' wins, Jackson has been a lights-out shooter hitting 50 percent overall and 51 percent from three. He's averaged 24.3 points, 7.6 assists and 2.8 turnovers in those games. In the team's losses, he's shooting 35 percent overall and 22 percent from three while averaging 15 points, 5.7 assists and 3.9 turnovers. While top players usually perform better in wins than losses -- it partially explains the game results, after all -- these numbers are especially divided in the case of Jackson. It's looking like the Pistons will only be as good as Jackson can make them this year, so you know Stan Van Gundy is trying to figure out how to keep his point guard productive each and every night.

Play of the night

28 points in a quarter?! #StephGonnaSteph on @csnauthentic. https://t.co/3qEnAan3zQ
— Golden St. Warriors (@warriors) December 3, 2015

We just couldn't pick one. Steph had so many ridiculous highlights in his 40-point game against the Hornets and, thankfully, the folks running the Warriors' Twitter account compiled them all into one neat package. This purified domination tops any single play we were treated to Wednesday and so we're going with that.