Exactly one decade after dropping 81 points in a single game, Kobe Bryant had a much different night while being shadowed by Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard.
Bryant harmed San Antonio more with his passing by handing out six assists and taking only nine shots, as he still finished 76 points short of his historic night in 2006, while the Spurs rolled to a 108-95 victory.
“(Bryant) played OK,” head coach Byron Scott said. “Nobody played great. We played arguably the best team in the NBA tonight.”
Indeed, the Spurs (38-6) captured their 13th consecutive victory thanks largely to Manu Ginobili’s eruption off the bench. The 38-year-old provided a season-high 20 points in just 19 minutes by shooting 9-of-10, while also providing four assists and five steals.
“He was one of my favorite players growing up,” D’Angelo Russell said. “Everybody says Michael Jordan and those type of players, but I used to always say Manu Ginobili, Brandon Roy and players like that. Just getting that opportunity to be on the same floor on him was an honor.”
While Ginobili propelled a Spurs offense that shot 50.6 percent, Leonard paved the way on the other end with two steals and three blocks to complement his 18 points.
“Kawhi takes great pride in his defense,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “That’s where his game starts. He defends, he rebounds and everything flows from that.”
Still, the Lakers (9-36) had respectable stretches of offense against the team that allows a league-low 89.6 points per game.
These moments were largely keyed by the younger players, like Russell — who had 13 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter — and Julius Randle — who had his 15th double-double of the year with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
However, the Spurs nonetheless captured their fifth straight win over Los Angeles.
Notes
LaMarcus Aldridge (back spasms) did not suit up for San Antonio. … Russell shot 8-of-10. … Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson each had 16 points for L.A. … The Lakers had a 45-35 rebounding advantage. … A crowd of 18,997 sold out Staples Center.
Click here for more Gameday coverage presented by Delta.
