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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.
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