Kobe Bryant Archives June 2008 Kobe Bryant Archives June 2008   KOBE BRYANT DEFEATED IN THE 2008 NBA FINALS June 17, 2008 - Bryant, the regular season MVP, finished with 22 points. Bryant started 4-of-5 from the field, but he missed seven shots in a row and finished 7-of-22. Everywhere he went, L.A.'s No. 24 ran smack into a wall of Boston defense as high as the Green Monster a few miles away at Fenway Park. "Defense,'' Rivers said before the game. "Is what we do.'' In the second half, Celtics fans chanted "You're not (Michael) Jordan'' at Bryant, who will have to wait for his fourth title and first without former teammate Shaquille O'Neal. The Lakers, who stole Pau Gasol away from Memphis in a mid-season trade to help Bryant, will have the all summer to think about what went wrong. LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. BOSTON CELTICS NBA FINALS: GAME 6 HIGHLIGHTS No team had to work harder for a championship than these Celtics, who were playing in their record 26th postseason game. They were pushed to seven games in the first round by Atlanta, another seven by Cleveland and then took care of Detroit in six to win the Eastern Conference title. They entered Game 6 of the finals slowed by injuries as Pierce, Kendrick Perkins (shoulder) and Rajon Rondo (ankle) were less than 100 percent. There was also uncertainty surrounding Allen, who stayed behind in Los Angeles following Game 5 after his youngest son became ill. But just as they had while winning 66 games during the regular season, the Celtics got plenty of help from their bench as P.J. Brown, James Posey, Leon Powe and rookie Glen "Big Baby'' Davis came in and contributed. 2008 PLAYOFFS LOS ANGELES LAKERS NBA FINALS PHOTO GALLERY The Celtics gave the Lakers a 12-minute crash course of ubuntu in the second quarter. Boston outscored Los Angeles 34-19, getting 11 field goals on 11 assists while holding Bryant to three points, all on free throws. The Celtics toyed with the Lakers, outworking the Western Conference's best inside and out and showing the same kind of heart that made Boston the center of pro basketbal's universe in the '60s. House and Posey made 3-pointers to put the Celtics ahead by 12 points and baskets by Pierce, Garnett and Rondo put Boston ahead by 18. In the final minute, Garnett floated in the lane, banked in a one-handed runner and was fouled. His free throw made it 56-35, and after Perkins scored, the Celtics ran to the locker room leading by 23. On his way off the floor, Garnett screamed, "That's that.'' And so it was. LOS ANGELES LAKERS PLAYOFF SCHEDULE Game 1 : Celtics 98 Lakers 88 : Celtics Lead The Series 1-0 Game 2 : Celtics 108 Lakers 102 : Celtics Lead The Series 2-0 Game 3 : Lakers 87 Celtics 81 : Celtics Lead The Series 2-1 Game 4 : Celtics 97 Lakers 91 : Celtics Lead The Series 3-1 Game 5* : Lakers 103 Celtics 98 : Celtics Lead The Series 3-2 Game 6* : Celtics 131 Lakers 92 : Celtics Win The Series 4-2 Game 7* : Friday, June 19 : at Boston, 9 p.m. ET (ABC) * If necessary NBA FINALS - BOSTON CELTICS After 22 long years, the NBA has gone green. Lifted by ear-splitting chants of "Beat L.A.'' from their adoring crowd, which included Boston legends Bill Russell, John Havlicek and JoJo White, the Celtics concluded a shocking rebound of a season with a stunning 131-92 blowout over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 on Tuesday night. With the outcome assured, Boston fans sang into the night as if they were in a pub on nearby Canal Street. They serenaded the newest champs in this city of champs, and taunted Kobe Bryant and his Lakers, who drowned in a green-and-white wave for 48 minutes. Garnett scored 26 points with 14 rebounds, Allen scored 26 and Pierce, The Finals MVP, added 17 as the Celtics, a 24-win team a year ago, wrapped up their first crown since 1986. This was total domination. The Celtics obliterated the Lakers, who were trying to become the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals. No way. No how. No chance. - NBA.com   KOBE BRYANT SURVIVES A DO OR DIE GAME 5 IN LOS ANGELES June 16, 2008 - As purple-and-gold streamers rained down, Lamar Odom shook his head in approval, Derek Fisher caressed the game ball against his chest and Kobe Bryant clapped his hands before striding from the floor. "I love L.A.'' blared through the speakers and "Not In Our House!'' flashed on the scoreboard. The P.A. announcer cried, "This is not over yet!'' The Los Angeles Lakers aren't done playing. The NBA finals are headed East. Bryant scored 25 points - including a decisive dunk in the final minute - and Odom added 20 as the Lakers, playing with pride on their star-studded stage, prevented the Boston Celtics from winning a 17th title with a 103-98 win in Game 5 on Sunday night to close to 3-2 in this restored rivalry. LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. BOSTON CELTICS NBA FINALS: GAME 5 HIGHLIGHTS "We didn't want to see any champagne popping,'' Odom said. "It wasn't easy. I wouldn't expect it to be.'' No team has overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals to win a title. The first 28 failed, and now the Lakers, who blew a 24-point lead and lost Game 4 and nearly squandered a 19-point lead in Game 5, have a chance to do something extraordinary. They'll have to win on the Celtics' parquet floor Tuesday night to force a winner-take-all Game 7, where anything is possible. Especially with Bryant, the game's best player, on hand. "In training camp if you told us, 'We'll give you two games that you have to win to win a world championship,' we would have taken it in a heartbeat,'' Bryant said. "This is a great opportunity for us.'' The league's MVP and ultimate finisher isn't finished yet. On a night when Bryant didn't have his best game, the other Lakers came up big. 2008 PLAYOFFS LOS ANGELES LAKERS NBA FINALS PHOTO GALLERY After scoring 15 points in the first quarter, Bryant went cold from the floor and finished just 8-of-21. But he made a big steal, poking the ball away from Pierce and streaking down to deliver a two-handed dunk with 37.4 seconds left. "I just was kind of reading the play and I was able to get my hands on the ball and get out and get a dunk,'' Bryant said. The Celtics called a timeout, superfan Jack Nicholson jumped to his feet and the scoreboard in Staples Center flashed: Not In Our House! On Saturday, Bryant had said "this is far from over,'' and he could be right. Accused of being selfish and too tough on his not-as-talented teammates, Bryant can bow to the other Lakers for sending the series back across country. Gasol, the 7-foot Spanish center criticized for being pillowy soft, didn't back down underneath and was able to get Garnett into foul trouble. LOS ANGELES LAKERS PLAYOFF SCHEDULE Game 1 : Celtics 98 Lakers 88 : Celtics Lead The Series 1-0 Game 2 : Celtics 108 Lakers 102 : Celtics Lead The Series 2-0 Game 3 : Lakers 87 Celtics 81 : Celtics Lead The Series 2-1 Game 4 : Celtics 97 Lakers 91 : Celtics Lead The Series 3-1 Game 5* : Lakers 103 Celtics 98 : Celtics Lead The Series 3-2 Game 6* : Wednesday, June 17 : at Boston, 9 p.m. ET (ABC) Game 7* : Friday, June 19 : at Boston, 9 p.m. ET (ABC) * If necessary NBA FINALS - BOSTON CELTICS But just as they did in Game 4, when they staged the biggest comeback in finals history, the Celtics pushed the Lakers to the brink of summer with another rally. This one fell a little short, but the outcome was still in doubt when Pierce, who grew up hating Boston like every other kid from L.A., made two free throws with 1:14 remaining to get the Celtics to 97-95. Fisher then missed a jumper and the Celtics appeared to be in business when Pierce fought off two Lakers for a rebound. But as he dribbled toward the basket, Bryant reached around and knocked the ball away to Odom, who then fed Bryant for his slam. Still, the Celtics wouldn't go away. After Bryant missed one of two free throws with 16 seconds left, Eddie House nailed a 3-pointer to make it 101-98 with 14 seconds left. House then nearly stole the ensuing inbounds pass, but Bryant, sprawled out on the floor, got the ball to Fisher, who drew a desperation foul. - NBA.com   KOBE BRYANT AND LAKERS FALL APART IN DEVASTATING LOSS June 13, 2008 - Kobe Bryant scored 19 points on 6-of-19 shooting but the league's MVP couldn't rescue the Lakers when they needed him most. Lamar Odom had 19 points - 15 in the first half - and Pau Gasol, whose addition in a midseason trade was supposed to give the Lakers their final piece to complement Bryant, had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Trailing by 18 points at halftime and seemingly done when they fell behind by 20 with 6:04 left in the third quarter, the Celtics outscored the Lakers 31-15 in the third quarter to pull within 73-71 going into the fourth. The remarkable rally was reminiscent of what Los Angeles did in Game 2, when the Lakers trimmed a 24-point deficit to two in the fourth quarter before the Celtics regrouped to open a 2-0 lead. But Boston had another 12 minutes to finish off theirs, and the green-and-white did. LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. BOSTON CELTICS NBA FINALS: GAME 4 HIGHLIGHTS Bryant, who except for a 36-point performance in Game 3 has been an ordinary superstar in his try for a fourth championship ring, didn't score in the first half. He tried to rally the Lakers and got them within 89-87 with one of his patented twisting layups. But James Posey drilled a 3-pointer for Boston to make it 92-87 with 1:13 left. Derek Fisher's long jumper got the Lakers within three. But Pierce was fouled and made two free throws, forcing Jackson to call a timeout with 47 seconds to go. As the Lakers headed toward their bench, Pierce pumped his fists, flexed his muscles and let out a yell. At the other end of the court, Bryant hung his head. "They were determined not to let me beat them tonight,'' he said. "I saw three, four bodies every time I touched the ball.'' 2008 PLAYOFFS LOS ANGELES LAKERS NBA FINALS PHOTO GALLERY