Obviously, the loss hit the players — Kobe and LeBron James were friends, plus he had been a mentor to Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, and many others — but also the team support staff and entire organization. Kobe was a 20-year Laker employee who was the face of a franchise and who had ties not just in the locker room but also on the business side and throughout the company. On Monday, the Lakers reportedly brought grief counselors into the office to help employees cope with the loss.
Considering all that, the NBA announced that it will postpone the Clippers/Lakers game that had been scheduled for Tuesday night at Staples Center. From the media release:
“The decision was made out of respect for the Lakers organization, which is deeply grieving the tragic loss of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other people in a helicopter crash on Sunday. The game will be rescheduled at a later date.”
It was the right move by the league.
Lakers players, coaches and officials and entire organization have been deeply grieving loss of Kobe Bryant. “These guys are not ready to play basketball right now,” one source close to Lakers and Clippers players said today. https://t.co/bsDgCGoxeU
The Lakers’ next scheduled game is Friday night at home against Portland.
No makeup date is scheduled, but there are limited opportunities on the NBA schedule — and that of Staples Center, which also is home to the NHL’s Kings plus hosts concerts and events — to add a game. It could be April before this game is made up. That late in the season the game could have serious seeding implications in the West for one or both teams.
That, however, is secondary right now.
Dion Waiters debuts, nearly keys Heat comeback vs. Clippers (video)
However, due to a rash of injuries on the Heat, Waiters finally escaped the doghouse and actually played against the Clippers last night.
He played a little in the first half then started the fourth quarter with Miami down 16. In the final minute, Waiters even twice blocked Lou Williams on the same possession then made a 3-pointer on the other end to cut L.A.’s lead to three.
But the Clippers held on for a 122-117 victory.
Waiters finished with 14 points, including 4-of-9 3-point shooting, in 18 minutes.
Kawhi Leonard racks up first career triple-double, lifts Clippers past Heat
MIAMI —Kawhi Leonard got his first career triple-double and scored 33 points, Landry Shamet added 22 and the Los Angeles Clippers shrugged off an early 15-point deficit before hanging on to beat the Miami Heat 122-117 Friday night.
Leonard finished with 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He was first credited with the triple-double in the third quarter — briefly, because one of his rebounds was taken away after a stat review. He then officially got it on a rebound with 3:55 left.
Jimmy Butler led Miami with 20 points. Butler left midway through the fourth after appearing to turn his right ankle for the second time in the game, capping a night when he also got inadvertently popped in the eye during the first half.
Kelly Olynyk and Tyler Herro scored 19 points each, Bam Adebayo had 18 and Duncan Robinson added 16 for Miami. The Heat fell to 20-2 at home – 0-2 against teams from Los Angeles. Their only other home loss was to the Lakers.
Miami was down by 18 with 8:34 left, then went on a 24-9 run and got within three on a 3-pointer by Dion Waiters with 34 seconds remaining. But they got no closer, and Leonard sealed it by going 4 for 4 from the foul line in the final moments.
Leonard flirted with a triple-double on two other occasions this season, missing it by two rebounds on Oct. 26 at Phoenix and by one assist on Nov. 11 against Toronto.
The Clippers were without Paul George (left hamstring) for the eighth consecutive game and Patrick Beverley (right groin) for the second straight game, though Beverley tried lobbying his way into the lineup.
Miami was without two point guards – Kendrick Nunn missed the game with left Achilles soreness and Goran Dragic was out with a sore left calf, something that flared up after he got kicked in Wednesday night’s overtime win against Washington.
So, down to 10 available players, Miami had no choice: Dion Waiters played for the first time this season.
Waiters, who had been suspended three times for various issues since October and embarrassed himself and the organization when he ingested at least one cannabis-infused edible and needed medical attention when the team charter plane wrapped up a Phoenix-to-Los Angeles flight in November, played 18 minutes and scored 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting, 4 for 9 from 3-point range.
Miami ran out to a 24-9 lead after seven minutes. The Clippers were within eight by the time the first quarter was done, and 65-63 at halftime. Then they outscored Miami 38-20 in the third to take total control.
Report: Lakers unhappy with Clippers coach Doc Rivers’ LeBron James joke
Asked about the differing health-management philosophies between the Clippers with Kawhi Leonard and Lakers with LeBron James, Clippers coach Doc Rivers quipped, “I think theirs is whatever LeBron says it is.”
Now, the Clippers are facing internal issues amid perceived favorable treatment for Leonard and Paul George.
The irony was not lost on the Lakers, who sources say weren’t happy with the comment, in part, because of the perceived hypocrisy regarding the Clippers’ style with Leonard.
This is such a Los Angeles squabble.
Every team gives its top players favorable treatment. That’s especially true with these two teams that use their glamour market to attract stars. The Lakers and Clippers are pointing fingers at the other for behavior each does itself. It’s Spider-Man.
This is just intensifying because the rivalry is finally heating up.
In the 35 years they’ve shared the city, the Lakers and Clippers have both won a playoff series in the same season only once – 2012. The Lakers were on the downswing with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. The Clippers were rising with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
Now, both teams are elite. It’d be a massive disappointment for either to lose in even the second round, let alone before that. A Western Conference finals featuring both Los Angeles teams is highly anticipated.
Pettiness like this adding up would make it even more fun.
Three Things to Know: LeBron’s big day, first named All-Star captain, then has triple-double
Every day in the NBA there is a lot to unpack, so every weekday morning throughout the season we will give you the three things you need to know from the last 24 hours in the NBA.
1) LeBron James’ triple-double gives Lakers win in Brooklyn, a sweep of New York. The Lakers have been kicked out of Staples Center for a week allowing rehearsals for the Grammys can take over the building. Meaning old guys in suits sit around for a week and figure out if they can get Lizzo and Kenny Chesney to perform together. Because strange pairings always make good music and television.
So LeBron James and the Lakers just went to New York and made themselves at home.
LeBron racked up a triple-double of 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists — his 10th triple-double of the season — and the Lakers finally played some defense down the stretch to get a 128-113 win in Brooklyn on Thursday.
That leaves LeBron just 17 points short of Kobe Bryant for third on the all-time NBA scoring list. LeBron likely passes the Laker legend on Saturday night while Los Angeles is in Philadelphia.
The Laker offense was flowing against the Nets “defense” — Los Angeles made a season-high 19 threes. Anthony Davis had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Dwight Howard got his first start of the season and responded with 14 points and 12 boards.
The Lakers are 3-1 on their five-game road trip so far, and they swept New York with wins over the Knicks and Nets.
Brooklyn has lost five in a row through a difficult part of the schedule. Even with Kyrie Irving back, that’s not enough to lift this lineup to wins against the league’s best. The Nets now have two games on the road, against the Pistons and Knicks.
2) LeBron — and Giannis Antetokounmpo — again names captains as All-Star Game starters are announced. The fans (50% of the vote), players (25%), and media (25%) got together and put together a pretty representative group of All-Star Game starters. Here’s the list and the guys who will start in Chicago:
WEST Guard:Luka Doncic (Dallas) Guard:James Harden (Houston) Frontcourt: LeBron James (L.A. Lakers) Frontcourt: Anthony Davis (L.A. Lakers) Frontcourt:Kawhi Leonard (L.A. Clippers)
Of course, they won’t play East vs. West. Instead, the two captains — LeBron and Antetokounmpo, the leading vote getters by the fans — will select their teams playground-style live on a TNT special NBA All-Star Draft Show Feb. 6 (a week before the game). First, they will choose from the pool of starters, then from the pool of 14 reserves (seven reserves from each conference, selected by the coaches and announced next week).
Being named a starter, one of the 10 best players in the game, is a powerful affirmation. Check out Trae Young’s reaction to being named.
Trae got emotional when he heard he was an All-Star starter. (via toughlay/IG) pic.twitter.com/vLt3dajOBp
Team LeBron is 2-0 in this format, and LeBron will be coached by his Laker coach Frank Vogel (as much as there is “coaching” in the All-Star Game). Also, when LeBron steps on the All-Star Game court in Chicago it will be his 16th time as a starter, passing Kobe for most starts ever in the game.
3) Damian Lillard is putting on a clinic (and it’s still not enough to get the Trail Blazers’ wins). Damian Lillard may not be an All-Star Game starter (he was third on the fan, player, and media votes), but he remains one of the best, most entertaining players in the league.
Coming off a game where he had 61 points, Lillard dropped 47 on Dallas on national television on Thursday night — that’s 108 points in two games, a Trail Blazers record.
Portland was without CJ McCollum (sprained ankle) and, of course, Jusuf Nurkic, who has been out all season with a leg injury. Without elite help, it’s Lillard against the world too often, and that’s not enough against good teams. Portland entered the season dreaming of getting back to the Western Conference Finals or even doing better, but this morning they sit as the 10 seed, 2.5 games out of the playoffs. It’s been a rough season in the Pacific Northwest.
