OAKLAND -- The Golden State Warriors paid tribute to Kobe Bryant who played his final game at the Oracle Arena on Thursday night.
And shortly thereafter, the defending champions went to work and beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 116-98, before a capacity crowd of 19,596.
Stephen Curry, the reigning NBA MVP, sank eight 3-pointers and finished with 26 points to lead the Warriors. Shaun Livingston had 17 points while Leandro Barbosa added 15. Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson, the other half of the Splash Brothers, each had 12.
The Lakers got 22 points and four rebounds from Jordan Clarkson while Lou Williams finished with 21. Kobe Bryant, the man of the hour, settled with eight points after suiting up for 27 minutes and 28 of seconds.
"This place has always been a special place to play. They've always been great fans. To have that appreciation from them tonight was pretty awesome," Bryant told NBA.com.
After playing 20 years in the league, all with the Lakers, the 37-year old Bryant, a 5-time champion and 17-time All-Star, plans to retire at the end of the season,
The Warriors improved to 37-3. The Lakers dropped to 9-32. (HDS)
Photo: In his final game in Oakland's Oracle Arena, Kobe Bryant waves to an appreciative crowd.
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