Kobe denies fatigue; L.A. star seemed to hit wall

6/11/2009

ORLANDO, Fla. No athlete on the planet well, at least on this side of the putting green from Tiger Woods closes quite like Kobe Bryant. He s the ice-in-his-veins killer. The Terminator. The one you call to finish the job. Mr. Clutch.

He owns the fourth quarter.

Most of the time.

But in Game 3 of the NBA finals on Tuesday night, Bryant, looking tired and mortal, gave new life to the here-they-come-again Orlando Magic, who shot a finals record 63 percent in a 108-104 win over the Los Angeles Lakers and snapped an 0-for-6 franchise mark in the finals.

With the Lakers eyeing a chance to open a 3-0 series lead, and with a fourth title that he has obsessed about almost within his reach, Bryant slipped up.

The Magic saw Bryant falter, but they don t expect to see it again.

We have to understand, Magic guard Rafer Alston said as the teams worked out in preparation of today s Game 4. He s not one to let it happen on back-to-back occasions.

Bryant and the Lakers have been bouncing back since the start of the postseason. Pursuing a 15th NBA crown one year after losing to the Boston Celtics, they are 6-0 after a playoff loss. They can regain control of the best-of-seven series, but they d better be careful not to give Orlando any more momentum.

As they showed in Game 3, the Magic can shoot holes through any dream.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson feels his team can do more defensively to stop the Magic s marksmen, but sometimes nothing can be done when shots are dropping.

You ve got to give credit where credit is due, he said. They hit shots.

Bryant came out intent to land a knockout shot in Game 3. He eased into the offensive flow, but then went on a tear, scoring 17 points in the final 5:41 of the first quarter. At halftime, he had 21 and although the Magic were shooting 75 percent, the Lakers trailed by only four points.

But in the second half, Bryant, who because of his commitment to USA Basketball has been playing nearly nonstop for three years, wore down. He shot just 3 of 10 from the field and missed four free throws. In the fourth quarter, normally his signature time, he went 2 of 6, missed all three 3-point attempts and had the ball stolen on a crucial possession in the last 30 seconds.

Yesterday, Bryant, who has been alternately surly and serene with the media throughout this series, took offense to the notion that he had hit the wall in the fourth quarter.

As far as me hitting the wall, so what if I did? Bryant wondered. I didn t, but so what if I did?

What does it mean if you did?

It means nothing, he countered.

Because?

Because I ll run straight through it.

Jackson knew his superstar was fatigued in Game 3 and sat him for nearly five minutes at the start of the fourth quarter so he would have energy in the closing minutes. But the cumulative effect of Orlando s defense and Bryant working so hard early on caught up to him.

The Lakers aren t used to Kobe not being Kobe with the game on the line.

Am I surprised? center Pau Gasol said. I guess you could say that because most of the time he is effective and does finish well.

Following Games 1 and 2, it appeared this series matching one of the league s most famed franchises and a relative upstart would be a brief one. The Magic had made their way to their first finals since 1995 on the strength of Dwight Howard s inside game and superior outside shooting. But in L.A., Orlando was just O.K.

However, back on their home floor and in front of their frenzied fans, the Magic shot like no team in 360 previous finals games.

During one stretch in the opening half, Orlando made a remarkable 21 of 24 shots.

Like nearly every afternoon in steamy Central Florida, the Magic can heat up in a hurry. Yet despite having two records set against them and not playing with discipline on defense, the Lakers only lost by four points. They missed 10 free throws and had some costly turnovers.

But this loss stung, and Bryant, who characterized his late-game performance as disappointing, said he and his teammates are not taking any consolation from their close call.