This April 13, 2016, twenty minutes before the in-between, the players of Salt Lake City learn that they will not play the playoffs with the victory of the Rockets. Clearly, this last match is for butter, and more than ever, this Lakers – Jazz looks like a jubilee for Kobe Bryant, whose “Last Dance” drags on.
After an inevitable and beautiful series of tributes orchestrated by Magic Johnson, the game begins and Kobe Bryant takes the first shot of the game for the Lakers, too short. The second also, too long this time. He snatches the ball from the hands of Gordon Hayward on the other side and tries his luck in penetration but misses his lay-up, then another shot and the Lakers wait five minutes to register their first basket (6-2).
A complicated start to the game
Kobe Bryant misses his 5th shot but against Trevor Booker and finally scores on the counterattack to the delight of the Staples Center. He brings the Lakers tied at the same time: 6-6 after 7 minutes. He goes on straight away with a shot at the head of the racquet, then in penetration with the fault!
The match is on, Kobe Bryant too: he takes his 4th shot in a row from the corner and his 5th in transition from behind the arc. Staples Center is standing, the Lakers are up front, and Kobe has already shot 11 times in 9 minutes, for 12 points. On an end of possession, he gets the fault and three free throws, which he returns. He misses his next two attempts behind the arc and after 12 minutes, Utah leads 21-19 thanks to a good Raul Neto.
The match resumes its “normal” course without Kobe Bryant, resting on the bench. The Lakers are clumsy but remain in contact after 7 minutes (33-29). Byron Scott’s moment to put number 24 back on the pitch, who immediately misses a complicated 3-point shot from the corner.
He approaches the circle again to score his first shot in the 2nd quarter, and returns the next behind the arc to keep LA at -6 (43-37). Kobe no longer puts a basket at the end of the half but shoots a few free throws and launches a counter-attack in “showtime” mode concluded by Julius Randle. If the scoreboard is of little importance tonight, a tight score could have made the last minutes of the “Black Mamba” on the floors more tasty. By playing seriously in this special atmosphere, the Jazz leads by 15 points at the break (57-42). The king of the evening is having fun with already 20 shots attempted and 22 points on the clock.
Kobe Bryant brings the Lakers back into the game
The most observed man remains on the field at the start of the second half and scores 6 points in 53 seconds! The Lakers are back in the game and the gap is back under 10 points. Kobe makes an airball on his 27th attempt but catches up again in penetration. Jordan Clarkson however steals the show with a 360° counter-attack but Kobe returns a baseline fadeaway then a winning shot to bring the Californians down to -5 after 6 minutes (64-59). In the Staples Center, the “Kobe, Kobe” gives way to “Defense, Defense”. The “franchise player” holds his 431st career game with more than 30 points at the end of the quarter, with 37 units at 14/34. Will it go to 50? Byron Scott responds in an interview: ” We will try. »
The Lakers being at -9 at the start of Kobe’s last career quarter, the latter has the opportunity to be decisive for his last strides on the NBA floors.
Utah starts the quarter in earnest to quickly take a 14-point lead, but number 24 pulls LA down to -9 on a winning shot in transition and becomes the 5th player in history to score 40 points over 37 years. Quin Snyder takes a time out but the “Black Mamba” bites again from afar. His teammates put on a show with a huge counter from Tarik Black followed by an alley-oop, to come back 5 lengths from the Jazz (85-80).
“Mamba Out! »
A very clean Jordan Clarkson reduced the gap to 3 units with 6 minutes remaining. Kobe Bryant continues at mid-distance to reach 45 points. But on a failed counter-attack followed by a big dunk from Trevor Booker, he saw the Jazz widen the gap to +9 again, less than 4 minutes from the end.
Kobe Bryant scores again in penetration to get closer to 50 points. It is now clear for everyone: he wants this brand, and will have it. Two free throws later, it is 49… and finally 51, then 53! The Lakers are -4 at 80 seconds, and -1 at one minute from the buzzer on an award-winning shot from the “Black Mamba”!
Shelvin Mack misses his attempt from a distance, ball for Kobe Bryant who scores to go back in front in an atmosphere of madness! At the end of the time-out, Trey Lyles misses his shot and Utah sends the hero of the evening to the free throw line, which snatches the bar of 60 points! Gordon Hayward misses his layup, Jordan Clarkson dunks across the court to close the match.
Kobe Bryant can walk out to cheers from the Staples Center and he takes the mic to say goodbye: “ You know, I wonder how these twenty years could pass so quickly. It’s crazy. This is completely crazy. We’ve had our ups and downs, but the most important thing is that we’ve been together all this time. Before unleashing his famous “Mamba Out”, he can’t help but quip on his almost unreal performance: ” For 20 years I was told ‘pass the ball!’, and for my last I was shouted at ‘don’t pass it!’ »
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D= defensive rebound; T = Total Bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
