Kobe scores 33 as Lakers beat Wade, Heat
LAKERS 93, HEAT 83 BULLS 96, 76ERS 91
LOS ANGELES — Although Kobe Bryant hates to disappoint everybody who thinks his 33-point performance in a win over the Miami Heat was payback to Dwyane Wade for breaking his nose in the AllStar game a week ago, that particular Hollywood fable just isn’t true.
“He knew I was going to be ready regardless,” Bryant said.
Yet the legend of the Masked Mamba will only grow after the Los Angeles Lakers finally struck a few blows of their own in this previously one -sided matchup with mighty Miami.
Bryant produced his third straight dynamic 30-point game while wearing a clear protective mask over his stilltender nose while Wade managed just 16 points before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ 93-83 victory Sunday.
Metta World Peace scored 17 points while leading a solid defensive effort for the Lakers, who have won 17 of their last 18 home games and eight of 10 overall. Andrew Bynum had 16 points and 13 rebounds as Los Angeles never trailed in the final 44 minutes against Miami, snapping a four-game skid in Bryant’s head-to -head matchups with Wade’s Heat.
“We did extremely well,” said Bryant, who had just 24 points in the Lakers’ loss in Miami six weeks ago. “I felt like we matched their energy and their physicality, which was a problem for us in Miami.”
Just one week after Wade also gave Bryant a concussion with that hard foul in Orlando, Bryant scored 18 points in a dynamic first quarter. He added enough big baskets in the second half to keep the Lakers ahead with help from his starting frontcourt of Pau Gasol, Bynum and World Peace, which combined for 44 points and 30 rebounds while Chris Bosh remained out of Miami’s lineup.
Although the Staples Center crowd roundly booed Wade during pregame introductions and the first few times he touched the ball, Wade apologized profusely after the All-star game to Bryant, his fellow U.S. Olympian. Bryant insisted he bore no grudge, saying Wade would never injure him on purpose.
Bryant has spent much of the last week in dark rooms to ease his injuries, and he plans to keep the mask when the Lakers make a three - game road trip next week.
“I got hit in the face a couple of times tonight, and it hurt even with the mask,” Bryant said.
Lebron James had 25 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Heat, who lost on the final two stops of their three -game trip after nine consecutive victories. Only Mike Miller’s jumper with 21.4 seconds left saved Miami from its lowest-scoring performance of the season.
PHILADELPHIA — Derrick Rose tied a season high with 35 points, and Joakim Noah had 11 points and 18 rebounds to lead Chicago over Philadelphia for its sixth straight victory. In a battle of division leaders, the Bulls made all the big shots over the final minutes to end a three-game losing streak against the Sixers. Andre Iguodala scored 14 points, and Elton Brand had 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Sixers. 4.9 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. Lin picked up two fouls in the first three minutes and struggled to 14 points in 32 minutes. He had five assists and four rebounds while shooting 6 for 16 from the floor. Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points for the Knicks.