Kobe Bryant’s prime 100 video games: No. 80

After getting off to a promising begin early within the 2006-07 season, the Los Angeles Lakers began to come back aside on the seams through the second half of the schedule.

They received solely 42 video games and bought the seventh seed within the Western Convention, which earned them a first-round playoff date with the Phoenix Suns.

A yr prior, L.A. got here extraordinarily near knocking off the Suns within the first spherical after taking a 3-1 collection lead, however issues had been completely different within the spring of 2007.

Accidents and dropping streaks had decimated crew chemistry and morale, leaving Kobe Bryant as the one connective tissue the Lakers had left.

They misplaced the primary two video games of the matchup, and after they returned dwelling to Staples Middle for Sport 3, they desperately wanted a pick-me-up.

Bryant offered it by scoring 45 factors on 15-of-26 capturing and dishing off six assists, as Los Angeles surged within the second half for a 95-89 win.

It was the Lakers’ solely win of the collection, and so they must undergo a number of extra months of purgatory earlier than issues lastly rotated.