The Los Angeles Lakers finally got their gears all oiled-up and perfectly running when they snatched a much needed victory over the highly-rated San Antonio Spurs Friday night at AT&T Center. The game ended 112-110 on overtime with Nick "Swaggy P" Young hitting the game winning three-pointer in a buzzer beater shot over Manu Ginobili.
Young and Kobe's combined points of 51 points helped put the Lakers on top of the current NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs. Kobe, who was recently criticized when he called his teammates "soft" during a practice game, scored 22 points and dished out nine assists. Nick Young, who was hailed the game's best player, scored 29 points coming off the bench.
The highlight of the game though was Nick Young's game winning three-pointer. With the shot-clock running down, Manu Ginobili in his front and 30 feet away from the basket, Young took what looks like a no-option rushed-up shot but amazingly still finds the intended target. That shot put the Lakers ahead 112-110 with just 7.4 seconds remaining on the game clock. The Spurs played the final possession of the game but unfortunately did not convert it for either a possible second overtime or a game-winning shot. With this win, the Lakers record stands at seven wins and 16 losses. This is also their two-game winning streak.
It is interesting to note that Kobe's recent performance puts him closer to Michael Jordan's career point's record. Kobe needed 30 points to tie with Jordan in the number three slot for the most career points in NBA history. Including this game, Kobe's career points currently stands at 32,284, just eight points shy of tying Michael Jordan's record of 32,292 points. The possibility of Kobe tying or breaking Jordan's record will be decided on Sunday when they play against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Another milestone achieved in this game was Tim Duncan surpassing Jerry West at 18th spot for most career points. When asked about the feat, Duncan's quick reply was, "Not right now.
