Lakers@Phoenix or what might be Kobe's last game against Phoenix!

slinslin

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Ok this will be an awesome game!

Chances are this will be Kobe's last game against us because he either signs with us or is going to jail. I'd say there might be a 50/50 chance it is the last time he plays against us.

I hope Kobe has a nice game, but I hope the Suns win this one and show Kobe that it would be worth coming here!

:thumbup:
 

Brian in Mesa

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Originally posted by slinslin
I hope Kobe has a nice game, but I hope the Suns win this one and show Kobe that it would be worth coming here!

I hope Kobe has a miserable game and the Lakers somehow pull out a win.

Go Lakers!!! :cool:
 

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Remember Kobe's first appearance in Phoenix this season? Better get rid of the boo birds if you want to continue to fantasize about Kobe playing for the Suns. Kobe has a better chance of playing in Sacramento next season than in Phoenix.

GAME DAY RECAP Saturday, November 01
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PHOENIX (AP) -- Kobe Bryant endured the boos, appreciated the cheers and tried to shake off the rust in his return to the Los Angeles Lakers' lineup.

Bryant made his first regular-season appearance Saturday night, scoring 15 points -- including three free throws in the final 66 seconds -- to help the Los Angeles Lakers' All-Star lineup hold off the Phoenix Suns 103-99.

He received mostly boos, but some cheers, when he was introduced, and was booed by some nearly every time he touched the ball. But there were Laker fans, too, in the capacity crowd, and he got some cheers, too.

"I expected the worst," Bryant said. "To hear anyone cheering felt good."

A few days earlier, Shaquille O'Neal and Bryant were exchanging verbal jabs through the media. Now, O'Neal feels Bryant will withstand any negative crowd response.

"We've been booed before, so a boo is nothing new to Kobe," O'Neal said. "It's nothing new to us. That's not going to break him. Nothing's going to break him. He's a tough little kid."

Bryant missed a free throw with 10.9 seconds to go and the Lakers leading 102-99, giving the Suns a chance to tie it. But Amare Stoudemire, not known for his outside shooting, missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

Phoenix coach Frank Johnson said Stoudemire should have passed to Casey Jacobsen.

"Casey was wide open," Johnson said. "All we had to do was make one more pass. But that's a young player."

The Suns' Shawn Marion got the rebound, but went up for a shot instead of passing it out for another 3-point try. He missed, and Karl Malone grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He sank one of two free throws with 2.3 seconds left to clinch it.

Bryant shot 4-of-12 from the field and 7-of-10 from the foul line in 37 minutes -- far more than he had expected to play.

"You know what, that was about the easiest 37 minutes I've ever played," Bryant said. "When you're out there playing with so many great players, it makes the game so much easier."

Bryant didn't play in the season opener Wednesday because of weakness in his surgically repaired right knee.

"I wasn't expecting to come out here and have a stellar game, you know what I mean," Bryant said. "I was going to come out and just play and try to help contribute where I can, just kind of go with the flow. It would be a little unrealistic for me to expect a huge game."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson thought Bryant was hesitant, especially early.

"He got a little more aggressive as the game went on," Jackson said. "I thought he was surprised by some passes, but that's going to happen with this team. He played 12 more minutes than we anticipated, but he was fine."

O'Neal had 24 points and 12 rebounds, Gary Payton added 19 points and nine assists and Malone had 18 points and 12 boards for Los Angeles. Devean George added 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Stephon Marbury led the Suns with 26 points and 11 assists.

Joe Johnson, who scored 20, sank a 3-pointer with 3:04 to go to give the Suns their only lead 94-93, then made another one to tie it at 97 with 1:19 remaining. He missed a 15-footer that would have tied it with 21 seconds to go.

Penny Hardaway had 15 points off the bench for Phoenix but fouled out late. Marion had 15 points and 11 rebounds but was 6-for-23 from the field. Stoudemire scored 13.

The Lakers' final eight points came on free throws. They were 27-for-39 at the line. Phoenix was 15-for-15.

The Suns trailed by as many as 15 points in the first quarter and led just once, 94-93 on Johnson's 3-pointer with 3:04 left.

But Malone sank a 20-footer, the Lakers' last field goal, to put Los Angeles up for good -- 95-94 with 2:42 left. Malone made two from the line to make it 97-94 with 1:13 to go, but Johnson's 3-pointer tied it at 97-97 with 1:19 to go.

Bryant's two free throws put Los Angeles up for good, 99-97 with 1:06 to play, then Payton made two from the line to put Los Angeles ahead 101-97 with 15.5 seconds left.
 

F-Dog

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Originally posted by DieHardFromMO
Phoenix coach Frank Johnson said Stoudemire should have passed to Casey Jacobsen.

"Casey was wide open," Johnson said. "All we had to do was make one more pass. But that's a young player."[/B]

Did I ever mention how happy I am that the Suns got rid of Frank Johnson and promoted D'Antoni? :D
 
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slinslin

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Kobe gets booed everywhere. Great players are almost always booed on the road.

When Amare fouled out last night they were applauding in Memphis.
 

Yuma

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Kobe will be leading up the cell block A team! :D
 
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slinslin

slinslin

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haha, I watched that Amare highlight video again on suns.com.

Kobe Bryant: "He is my rookie of the year right now, definately, and truthfully I don't even think it is close".

:notworthy
 

Gee!

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Originally posted by Chaplin
How do you think the fans tonight will respond to Kobe?

3 things could happen.

1) Fans boo cuz after all he wheres purple and yellow.

2) Fans cheer him to try to sway him to sign in PHX.

3) No response, just another player.
 
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slinslin

slinslin

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Well if I was at the game tonight I would get some buddies and make a sign big enough that everyone would definately see it showing Kobe that we want to have him.

You know really big signs like they use to have in european soccers or basketball arenas.

Unfortunately I guess that he will still be booed even if it is a dumb thing to do.
 

F-Dog

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Originally posted by slinslin
Unfortunately I guess that he will still be booed even if it is a dumb thing to do.

It's not dumb to boo if you don't want Kobe to play for the Suns.

Good thing I'm not going to the game, eh? ;)


My main concern crowd-wise is that the fans will fall all over themselves to root for the Lakers and make the Suns players feel unappreciated...
 

Joe Mama

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I expect there will be a few signs about him coming to Phoenix, but otherwise I don't expect much noise either way. I'm sure the announcers will be talking about it.

Joe Mama
 
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slinslin

slinslin

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TMac is only 1-9 tonight. I guess the more frustrated he gets the more pressure will be on Orlando to trade him and get something for him before he can opt out in 2005.

He is eligible for an extension so the Suns could probably extend his contract immediately and he would do that if the rumor has merit.
Even if not he isn't extending his contract in Orlando because they have little margin for improvement.
 

Yuma

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Just noone show up and propose the same trade for three hours straight!!! :D Me, I HAVE to watch Sex And The City tonight with my wife!! :cool: Maybe I'll get some sex in the city afterwards!!! :D
 

arthurracoon

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Suns will lose the game because they could not "gaurd the three" in the immortal words of Evil Ash
 

George O'Brien

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Originally posted by elindholm
Why didn't McDyess play?

Amare played 42 minutes and grabbed 12 rebounds while scoring 25 points.

Jahidi White played 33 minutes and had a solid game against Shaq (Bill Walton said he did the best job other than Yao against him that he has seen this year). White actually as many rebounds as Shaq at 5. Shaq shot 8 of 12, but he actually had to work for it.

BTY, JJ had another tough game scoring (11 points) but he did have 9 assists,

Shawn's offense was pretty good (10-16) which would have been even better if he hadn't starting shooting threes near the end. and he had 13 rebounds. However, his defense on Kobe was pathetic as he let Kobe get some easy layups and numerous wide open shots.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about the game was that the Suns actually outrebounded the Lakers 39 to 33 (White's blockouts were huge). But none of that matters if the Suns cannot figure out how to play Kobe at least as well as the rest of the NBA. :mad:
 

fordronken

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Originally posted by George O'Brien
But none of that matters if the Suns cannot figure out how to play Kobe at least as well as the rest of the NBA. :mad:

The best way to guard Kobe Bryant is to sign him in the offseason.
 

George O'Brien

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Originally posted by fordronken
The best way to guard Kobe Bryant is to sign him in the offseason.

Bribing the jurors in Colorado would be cheaper. :D

Seriously, Kobe does not score 40 points every night. While he did make some incredible shots, he benefited from poor defense on the part of the Suns. At some point, the Suns have to accept the fact that they have to deny shooters the ball and not try to catch up to them off of switches and double teams.

The reason JJ was not effective was because Kobe kept him from getting the ball in a positon to do anything. Somehow the Suns never seem to be able to do that to opponents.
 

elindholm

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The game summary was nice, although unnecessary, since I saw it all on television and am competent to read a box score. So can someone tell me why McDyess didn't play?
 

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