The Warriors beat the Lakers 116-98, but the game will be remembered for so much more than that on Warriors Ground.
GAME LEADERS
There is always something a little special about games on Warriors Ground, but Thursday night’s Warriors-Lakers showdown had a little extra flare to it, and it’s no secret as to why. Always a passionate group, the fans at Oracle Arena showed nothing but class as they bid farewell to NBA legend Kobe Bryant during a 116-98 Warriors victory.
With Bryant retiring at season’s end and the Lakers looking like a lottery team, the nationally televised matchup between division rivals marked the five-time NBA Champion and 17-time NBA All-Star’s final game at Oracle Arena, and the future Hall of Famer was showered with applause throughout the evening. Among the highlights of the evening was a pregame video tribute to Bryant courtesy of Lakers legend and Warriors Executive Board Member Jerry West.
On the floor, it wasn’t one of Bryant’s best games of his storied career. He went 4-for-15 with eight points in 28 minutes, but still, he helped keep the Lakers in the game through the first half, but the Warriors began to pull away in the third quarter.
By the time the third quarter came to an end, Stephen Curry had knocked down all eight of his 3-pointers. The Warriors’ guard had a game-high 26 points and was able to rest the entire fourth quarter, along with three other fellow starters.
With the Dubs playing on the back end of a back-to-back, the Warriors struggled out of the blocks. They shot less than 40 percent over the first two quarters before returning to form in the second half. As necessary when playing on consecutive days, the Dubs got major contributions from their bench. Shaun Livingston was 6-for-8 from the floor with 17 points, Leandro Barbosa was 5-for-7 with 15 points, and Harrison Barnes added 12 points. All told, the Dubs reserves shot 22-for-36 (61.1 percent) and out-scored the Lakers reserves 58-39.
The Warriors improved to 37-3 and a perfect 19-0 at home, and up next is a three-game road trip that tips off on Saturday in Detroit.