The scene was set in what could have been Kobe Bryant’s final game at Madison Square Garden.
Celebrities like Magic Johnson, Spike Lee and Tracy Morgan lined the first row of the sold-out arena, while the Lakers took an 86-80 lead midway though the final quarter behind 17 points from Bryant.
But then the script fell apart due to an extended series of missed shots and ill-advised fouls.
From the 7:17 mark till there were 24 seconds left in the game, the Lakers missed 16 consecutive shots from the field, while New York rallied for a 99-95 win.
As L.A. failed to put the ball through the net, it also handed the Knicks (3-4) a platter of free points, as New York shot 9-of-10 at the foul line over the final 2:48.
“We just got bogged down mentally,” head coach Byron Scott said. “We stopped moving the ball like we did earlier (when we) tried to explore both sides of the floor and get easy shots. Everything was contested. The defense was right in front of us. I thought we lost our focus for a little while on both ends of the court.”
Bryant added just one more free throw to his scoring total, finishing 6-of-19 from the field, including 2-of-10 on 3-pointers.
The 20-year veteran has recently said that this will probably be his final NBA season, and received “MVP!” chants from much of the home crowd while shooting free throws at the Garden.
<p“I remember my first game coming in here and not knowing what the hell to expect or what to do being in such a great arena,” Bryant said. “To be here 20 years later and have that happen, it feels amazing. I’m very fortunate.”
Though Bryant and Roy Hibbert (18 points, 10 rebounds) had the Lakers (1-5) rolling for most of the game, they couldn’t stave off Carmelo Anthony, who had 11 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, plus eight rebounds.
“It kind of reminded me of back when I was in Denver and those battles (with Bryant) back then,” said Anthony, who embraced Bryant after the game. “It always feels good to go against him, my big brother. Even in his 20th season, contemplating retirement, you always have to stay on your toes.”
Both teams shot worse than 40 percent from the field, but the Knicks enjoyed a 24-14 advantage at the free throw line.
Kobe Expected to Play Back-to-Back
Since before the season began, Scott has been constantly asked about his plan for Bryant’s playing time on back-to-backs.
With the Lakers facing Miami on Tuesday and Orlando the very next night, Scott expects the 17-time all-star to start both contests.
“His feeling was: ‘You know, Coach, this might be my last year. So if possible, I’d like to try to play every game,’” Scott said. “So I’m with that with him, and we’ll see how that plays out.”
Fisher Tossed
Sunday’s game had an early start (12:30 p.m. PT) and finish for former Laker Derek Fisher.
Now the Knicks head coach, Fisher — who won five championships with the purple and gold — was ejected midway through the third quarter for arguing a call that resulted in free throws for Bryant.
“It was a foul,” Bryant said. “I was surprised he got two (technical fouls) for that. Get tossed out for something that’s worth debating, not that one.”
With the game tied at 55 when Fisher was sent out, associate coach and former Showtime Laker Kurt Rambis took over and guided New York to victory.
Notes
Both members of New York’s starting frontcourt — Kristaps Porzingis (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Robin Lopez (14 points, 13 rebounds) had double-doubles. … Porzingis and Lopez’s defensive length was a large reason for Julius Randle’s 3-of-12 shooting clip, though Randle did finish with 11 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. … A crowd of 19,812 filled Madison Square Garden for Sunday’s matinee.
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