<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">There are few players better in the NBA at taking punishment than Kobe Bryant. Just ask Dallas forward Josh Howard, who sent Bryant crashing to the floor on a flagrant foul last week but couldn't derail the superstar guard's 62-point game. Bryant found himself in a similar situation early in the third quarter of Wednesday's loss to Memphis, taking an elbow to the face from Grizzlies guard Mike Miller that opened an inch-long gash over his left eye. Maybe this time, though, Bryant was a little too intent on payback. He scored 29 of his 45 points after the Miller elbow but went just 13 of 37 from the field for the game. Bryant took 24 shots from the third quarter on, more than the rest of the Lakers combined. As a team, the Lakers scored only 16 points aside from Bryant from the third quarter through overtime. "That overwhelms the game sometimes and makes it difficult for the other guys to function," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "Kobe has to be aware of that and we talked about it and we understand it. Yet he has to find that balance and there's a fine balance for him." The NBA also said Thursday it is investigating an elbow Bryant delivered to Miller's chin in retaliation with 8:24 left in the fourth quarter. Bryant was called for a flagrant foul and did not hide his intentions afterward. "I hit first, ask questions later," Bryant said. Bryant connected on three 3-pointers in rapid succession after returning to the game in the third with a bandage over his eye. But he missed his last five shots of the quarter, with Jackson saying that he was told Bryant took 10 consecutive shots in the second half. The issue of Bryant's progress in learning to trust his teammates came up before Wednesday's game. Bryant was none too happy with the Lakers' play late in Monday's loss to Washington and lit into his teammates behind closed doors. "I think he gave the ball up in various points of the year," Jackson said, "and I think there's been a fine balance between guys stepping up and making shots and Kobe trusting his teammates. It hasn't got to the point where it's not happening, where I'm disappointed." Bryant, who is averaging a staggering 38.3 points in home games this season, had two chances to win Wednesday's game. He missed a jumper over Dahntay Jones with 15.9 seconds left in regulation and couldn't get a reverse layup to fall in overtime. Wrong end: The visiting team has the choice of baskets at which to shoot in an NBA game, with most teams electing to play defense in front of their bench in the second half. That puts the Lakers on offense at the other end of the court from Jackson. After watching the Lakers score just 13 points in the third quarter, Jackson said there might be a correlation with the lack of production. "My concern with them," Jackson said, "is that a lot of times they operate much better in front of the bench because they're under the gaze, so they have to be inside of the offense a lot." </div> Source
Me thinks Kobe?s starting to implode Kobe Bryant may be remaking his image off the court, but the Los Angeles Lakers guard reportedly is showing more of a nasty side on the court. And a lot of the nastiness is directed at his teammates. The New York Post said people sitting near L.A.'s bench for the Rockets and Wizards games were flabbergasted at the things he screamed at his teammates. The Post also reported Friday more about a major confrontation between Bryant and teammate Lamar Odom after the Lakers? loss at Washington. The confrontation reportedly led to smashing of lights and damaging of a TV monitor belonging to the Lakers' flagship station in front of the visitors? locker room. Bryant was angry at Odom for supposedly botching a pick-and-roll that was to set up a three-point shot for Bryant that could have tied the game, the Post said. The newspaper said as the pair got closer to the Lakers' dressing room, Bryant was yelling at Odom. Odom yelled back and that's when Bryant reportedly went after Odom. In doing so, The Post said Bryant kicked over the lights and a chair holding the TV monitor. The newspaper said Bryant?s security force of two quickly intervened and separated the pair. The Post said they again exchanged heated words and challenges in the locker room and that the tension was so intense one of the security guys accompanied Odom to the back of the charter bus and sat nearby on the trip to the airport while the other sat in the front with Kobe, the last member of the Lakers to board. During Wednesday?s overtime loss to Memphis in Los Angeles, Bryant also was angry and even threw an elbow at Grizzlies guard Mike Miller. Bryant said he thinks opponents are finding things too easy when they come to Los Angeles these days. The victory was only the Grizzlies? second in the 20 games they?ve played on the Lakers? court ? and was more proof for Bryant that his team isn?t tough enough at home. ?This being our home court, people come here and think it?s Hollywood and all sorts of stuff, so they think they?ll come down (the lane) and look pretty and shoot jump shots and dunk the ball and finger-roll the ball and do all sorts of cute stuff,? Bryant said. ?And we?ve got to stop that.? Bryant did his part when he elbowed Miller in the face and picked up a flagrant foul with 8:24 left in regulation. Earlier in the game, Bryant needed three stitches to close a cut over his left eye after Miller pushed him in the face with his hand while driving. ?Any player that was going to come down the lane at that point in time, I was going to let him know that he just can?t walk through there,? Bryant said. ?I think we as a team have to do a better job of establishing that. And me, as a leader of the ballclub, I?ve got to take the initiative to do that ? and hopefully, everybody will see that.? Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10651006/
