<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">EL SEGUNDO - As it should be for a game featuring the NBA's two leading scorers, all attention tonight at Staples Center will be focused on Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson, who already have scored 40 points or more in a combined 14 games this season. An interesting subplot, however, might be the matchup between Bryant and Philadelphia's second-year guard Andre Iguodala, who played one of the best defensive games of the season against Bryant when the two teams met Nov. 11. With Iguodala blanketing him, Bryant shot a season-worst 7 of 27 and finished with 17 points in the Lakers' 85-81 loss. Bryant missed a 3-pointer over Iguodala with 5.9 seconds left and spent the fourth quarter trying to create any space possible. "That's something Kobe has to watch with athletic players," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, "that it doesn't get to be a matchup that's just a mano-a-mano type of thing where you get involved ego-wise into it. "But it's a challenge, and Iguodala played him very well." Bryant, bothered by a bad finger in the November game, was reluctant to give Iguodala much credit after practice Thursday, calling the 21-year-old guard an "OK defender." "I was playing in a closet," Bryant added. "If they want to use the same defensive principles (tonight), we should be able to get some good looks, some open looks because our spacing is much better now than it was then." Bryant will be returning from a two-game suspension and trying to lift the Lakers out of their five-game losing streak. As for Iverson, Jackson has not seen much from guards Smush Parker and Sasha Vujacic to give him reason for encouragement. "They have not played good defense for quite a while," Jackson said. "But we'll chase and we'll play team defense (Friday) and hopefully play as well as we can." From Utah's Deron Williams to Memphis' Damon Stoudamire, the Lakers have been unable to stop opposing point guards recently. "We need more pressure defense," Jackson added. "We've been getting away from what was good for us early in the year in putting some pressure on the ball and making guys have to bring it down court under duress." </div> Source Both these teams are hungry for a win, so I expect a hard fought game. Chris Webber and Iverson are banged up, but Dalembert has been insane on the glass the last two games. I hope the Lakers are ready for him and box him out all game long. Kobe Bryant will return from his two game suspension, well rested, and out for some blood. He's watched his team lose back to back game to the Jazz, and play terrible on both ends of the floor. Kobe cannot get caught up in the matchup with Iggy, like PJax mentioned in the article. I expect Kobe to pick apart the 76ers defense tonight and his teammates to respond positively with #8 back on the court with them. The last game Sasha and Iverson got into a little, I'm sure PJax will send Sasha into the game early to try and irritate the Answer. Hopefully Sasha can snap out of his funk.
As much as I don't want to see it, I expect a big game out of Kobe. Last time it wasn't Iguodala that contained Kobe, it was the entire team defense, but the Sixers defense is horrendous. Couple that with the fact that Kobe is coming back from his suspension, I expect him to go for atleast 30 in the game. Iverson has been struggling with his shot lately after spraining his ankle in Denver, but hopefully he'll be alright for this one. Should be a close game... could go either way, in my opinion.
If Iguodala can have a smiliar defense performance against Kobe, then I don't know what to say. But I think Kobe will get somewhere around 30-35 points but I think it will take him 30+ shots in order to get it. Well I'm happy the main attraction will be Iggy and Kobe. Iverson has scored less than 20 points in two straight games. I don't think he's done this bad since his rookie season. So a little less attention on him would only help him out. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Kobe Bryant will return from his two game suspension, well rested, and out for some blood.</div> Hopefully he will be more rusty than hot.
I think Kobe will have a huge game today, with 38 points shooting 52% and a Laker victory. I can almost feel it already. I just have this weird feeling thats telling me about the outcome.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I think Kobe will have a huge game today, with 38 points shooting 52% and a Laker victory. I can almost feel it already. I just have this weird feeling thats telling me about the outcome.</div> I can relate. I get those feelings too. I think Kobe will get 35 Points on 12-30 shooting while AI gets 38 on 15-32 shooting while Iggy tops that off with 22 Points and a seven point Sixers win.
I belive Andre takes this game as seriously as Kobe.If last time Kobe said Andre's an OK defender then this time I hope he says that Andre's a good defender.
Looking at the box score I'm pretty pissed off right now, because this game should be on tv. Smush has 21 pts in 16 minutes on 8-9fg and 5-5 treys?! AI has 21 and Kobe has 18. Why couldn'y they have put this game on ESPN2 instead of the one that they did?
The Lakers looked great in the first half. Kobe is on a tear after that 2 game suspension. Lets hope this is a beginning of a nice streak before the all star break.
If someone can step up to help Kobe every game, I guarantee we'll win more games. thats the smush I remember from the beginning of the season
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Laker_fan:</div><div class="quote_post">I think Kobe will have a huge game today, with 38 points shooting 52% and a Laker victory. I can almost feel it already. I just have this weird feeling thats telling me about the outcome.</div> Can you have these feelings the rest of the season? 48 points and counting! Including 7 for 7 from downtown! This was an important win for the Lakers, ending the losing streak and getting a victory at Staples. The offense was flowing tonight for the Lakers and they did a great job on the glass.
Wow Smush and Kobe were 28/39 in FG/FGA... 13/13 from 3 point range... Talk about on fire... I saw replays on Kobe's threes, those weren't easy shots there. Some of them were very clutch, not that the Lakers needed the points, but shot clocker beaters nonetheless.
Ever since the start of the season Smush Parker has shown signs that he can be that other player to help Kobe carry the lakers on to more victorys.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">Can you have these feelings the rest of the season? 48 points and counting! Including 7 for 7 from downtown! This was an important win for the Lakers, ending the losing streak and getting a victory at Staples. The offense was flowing tonight for the Lakers and they did a great job on the glass.</div> Hopefully I get these feelings again more. Its something that the Laker gods above send down to me.
Kobe did have a huge game on the 76ers, but the 76ers act like Iguodala can guard Kobe all on his own. They haven't played that team defense like they did the first time they played Kobe this season. But it isn't a coincendent that Kobe has had 2 bad games out of 4 against Andre.
