NBA -- The Black Mamba strikes again, Lakers win 3 in a row
By Homer D. Sayson
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 25 Feb 2013
CHICAGO -- With his team in 9th place in the crowded Western Conference and 3 1/2 games behind the Houston Rockets for the 8th last playoffs berth, superstar Kobe Bryant remained unfazed last week and pretty much guaranteed that the Los Angeles Lakers will make the postseason.
Well, the 34-year old dynamo wasn't kidding.
Bryant, better known as the Black Mamba for his cold-blooded exploits, bit the Dallas Mavericks for 38 points as the visiting Lakers escaped with a 103-99 victory on Sunday afternoon at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas. The Lakers' captain sank 13 of 21 field goals, plucked 12 rebounds and dished seven assists in a performance befitting a 15-time All-Star and 5-time NBA champion.
The win improved the Lakers' mark to 28-29 and with Houston's 105-103 loss to the Washington Wizards on Saturday night, Los Angeles sliced the 31-27 Rockets' lead to 2 1/2 games with still 25 games left in the regular season calendar.
"It's just what I'm supposed to do. It's about time. I'm kind of going through a process of facilitating and things like that, but now it's time to put the whole thing together," Bryant told NBA.com.
Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni couldn't agree more and told ESPN.com: "That's why he's Kobe Bryant. He's not John Smith. No disrespect to John Smith, whoever he is. That's what he does. That's what he loves. That's what he trains for."
Overshadowed by Kobe's brilliance was the superlative effort turned in by Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki, who turned in 30 points and 13 rebounds on 11-for-19 shooting from the field.
But Kobe had far more support than what Dirk got.
Ex-Maverick Steve Nash buried four 3s to finish with 20 points while Antawn Jamison had 14 and Jodie Meeks added 13. Center Dwight Howard also had nine points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who will travel to Denver to face the Nuggets on Monday. (Homer Sayson)
Photo: Kobe Bryant may be down but his team is definitely not out of the playoffs berth as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Dallas Mavericks -- 103-99 --yesterday at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas. Kobe finished with a game-high 38 points.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Homer D. Sayson.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 15 SEPTEMBER 2025: Crawford Snatches Canelo's Undisputed Crown at 168 Lbs; Inoue Defeats Akhmadliev to Retain 4 Superbantam Belts; Crocker Outpoints Donovan
By Eric Armit, Wed, 17 Sep 2025TICKET NEWS: EUBANK JR-BENN II ON SALE FROM THIS WEDNESDAY
Wed, 17 Sep 2025“Night of Champions” Returns to Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando on September 19
Wed, 17 Sep 2025Canelo-Crawford: The Consolidation of Boxing’s New Commercial Empire
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 17 Sep 2025A New Era for Boxing: Canelo vs. Crawford Shatters Global Viewership Records on Netflix
By Dong Secuya, Wed, 17 Sep 2025Crawford Not the First Lightweight to Distinguish Himself at Super Middleweight
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Wed, 17 Sep 2025Kurt Scoby and Josh Popper Headline Boxing Insider Card September 19 in Times Square
Wed, 17 Sep 2025Green and Gold 2025: Amateur Boxing’s International Gathering in Bolivia
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 17 Sep 2025Pakistan's Sameer Khan Set to Battle for UBO Youth World Title in Brico Santig’s Sep 27 Show in Thailand
By Carlos Costa, Tue, 16 Sep 2025SAMBO Pilipinas is Southern NSA of the Year 2025
By Lito delos Reyes, Tue, 16 Sep 2025Kingsley “The Black Lion” Ibeh To headline historic “Legacy Nights” Inaugural Pro Boxing event in El Salvador
Tue, 16 Sep 2025Smarts over power
By Joaquin Henson, Tue, 16 Sep 2025HALL OF FAME FLIES FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION RICKY HATTON
Tue, 16 Sep 2025Kazakhstan tops the medal table at the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 thanks to victory in the final bout of the competition
Tue, 16 Sep 2025THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 13: JOE FRAZIER’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AS AN AMATEUR FIGHTER
By Maloney L. Samaco, Mon, 15 Sep 2025