What a spectacular game Kobe Bryant played on Tuesday night at STAPLES, literally dragging his teammates across the finish line of a nail-biter that L.A. pulled out 105-103 despite trailing for most of the game.
Bryant scored 18 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, set up the biggest shot of the game - a go-ahead three by Derek Fisher with 2:30 to play - with one of his four dimes, grabbed six rebounds including the game-clincher off a missed free throw and played outstanding defense on Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony. He also made 12-of-13 free throws, including 9-of-9 in the fourth, and hit 2-of-3 three pointers.
After the game, Bryant offered some reflection, talked about his teammates, vowed not to get another technical foul, addressed Jerry West’s comments regarding him and LeBron James and more.
Here’s a full transcript of Bryant’s comments from the postgame podium:
Q. Can you talk about your scoring performance tonight, where did you get the energy level coming off of a seven game series with Houston to find that energy to overtake the Nuggets in the end?
BRYANT: Just had to gut it out. It was a tough game. We were down virtually the whole game. So I just had to dig deep a little bit, see if we can’t pull it out.
Q. Any frustration again with a bit of a slow start at the start of this game for you as far as team just not getting out the start that I know you’re looking for?
BRYANT: You know, it’s a part of basketball. I mean, it’s just part of the game. Some games you’ll get out to a quick start, some games not. I think the thing we did better in this game is that we didn’t allow them to go on a huge run and put us in too big of a deficit. We kept it at seven, kept it at eight and nine. That’s what you’re supposed to do. Playoff basketball you see that happening all the time. I think that’s where we’ve improved from the last series. Houston, we virtually capitulated in the first quarter. That didn’t happen tonight.
Q. Can you tell us how your finger is, what happened. And, additionally, toughness, it seemed like the Nuggets were kind of out toughing you early and the team kind of responded and obviously pulled out the victory. Can you talk about how physical the game was?
BRYANT: The finger is the same. It’s the same one I did against Cleveland. Tried to go without tape tonight. Just got caught with the ball, popped it out, popped it right back in place. Went to the bench, taped it up, good to go. In terms of physicality of the game. It’s playoff basketball. Guys bump a little bit. I felt like the first half their frontcourt really dominated us. During the second half I felt we did a much better job.
Q. You guarded Chauncey in the beginning and J.R. in the middle and Carmelo at the end. Were you asking for those and had you just basically made the decision that this might be a night that you were going to have to pull everybody kind of through this one?
BRYANT: Yeah, I mean, once I sensed we didn’t have the energy, I had to take it upon myself to try to lead by example. And there are certain parts in a game where Chauncey’s he’s in attack mode. And I know when those are and I try to guard him, try to do the best job I can on him. The same thing with J.R., Melo got hot and Trevor was in foul trouble and I had to go down there and wrestle with a bear. It’s just part of my responsibilities to this team.
Q. Kobe, talk capitulation, when you’re down 13 was there an air of desperation at all, or the team feeding off the Game 7 furry understood what it was to come back and keep rallying?
BRYANT: A little bit of desperation. You have to have that. It’s a sense of urgency it’s not sit back and relax, let the game come to us. Now is the time, the moment, what we’ve been waiting for all year. And, yeah, so it was a little bit of desperation.
Q. Are you concerned with your five technicals now in the playoffs?
BRYANT: I won’t get another one.
Q. You don’t have to be any more careful?
BRYANT: I won’t get another one.
Continue reading ‘Kobe Bryant Postgame Quotes’
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