Lakers live and die by Kobe Bryant's shooting in 89-87 loss to Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS >> His shot kept falling short over and over again. The Lakers played at a mind-numbing pace that would put most people to sleep.

But as Kobe Bryant has done and leaed throughout his 20-year career, he remains bound to accomplish three things.

He still can end any shooting slump. He will keep firing away even when the percentages tell him otherwise. And he can still make a boring game more entertaining.

The Lakers’ 89-87 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse featured a little bit of Bryant’s brilliance. It also featured a lot of Bryant’s defiance. It made his 19-point performance on 6-of-25 shooting in 33 minutes both inspiring and frustrating.

“Sometimes you live and die with it,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said. “I’m willing to do that with him.”

The Lakers lived with it once Bryant entered the game as the Pacers nursed a 79-73 lead with 4:14 remaining. After shooting 2 of 16 from the field, Bryant scored 11 consecutive points.

“Yay,” Bryant recalled thinking with playful sarcasm. “I made a damn shot. That’s what it was like the whole time.”

The Lakers died with it when Bryant then missed five of his last six attempts, all on plays Scott said he drew up. Bryant added he felt “horrible” and had “locked up” throughout the game. He plans to increase his level of treatment before Wednesday’s game in Cleveland.

“They were almost the same ones he took when he made them,” Scott said. “I was fine with them.”

In faiess, the Lakers shot 31.2 percent with D’Angelo Russell (6 of 18), Jordan Clarkson (4 of 12) and Nick Young (1 of 7) struggling on what Scott considered “great looks.” Despite Indiana shooting only 39.7 percent from the field, the Lakers also could not gain ground on the Pacers (11-43) until Bryant’s late-game heroics.

“It’s pretty cool for him to be able to take us home,” said Lakers forward Julius Randle, who added 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting and 19 rebounds. “He gives us that edge down the stretch,”.”

But the game took a tu for better and for worse during Bryant’s fluctuating play.

After missing a floater, Bryant grabbed the rebound and made a 14-foot fadeaway to cut the Pacers’ lead to 77-73 at the 4:18 mark. Bryant then hit three consecutive 3-pointers from 25, 23 and 27 feet, respectively for an 82-79 lead with 2:45 left.

“I wasn’t going to go away from him then,” Scott said. “When the game is on the line, that’s when he is at his best.”

Bryant then became his worst.

He launched a 30-foot jumper that barely nipped the rim. Bryant shot an airball on his next shot, though Lakers forward Brandon Bass converted on a putback for an 84-80 lead with 1:25 left. Bryant missed more shots from 21, 26 and 29-feet, respectively.

Advertisement

“I made a shot and went back to shooting like (crap),” Bryant said. “I pulled a rabbit out of a hat and the rabbit disappeared.”

Bryant also disappeared when Indiana forward Paul George both blew past him for an uncontested layup and drew a foul on Clarkson, a three-point play that gave the Pacers an 86-84 lead with 38.3 seconds remaining. Bryant said he tried forcing George to the middle of the free-throw line, believing he had help defense. Bryant was wrong.

“He takes those challenges pretty seriously,” Scott said of Bryant. “You have to give Paul a lot of credit on being able to go by him.”

- - , .