James Harden takes over like his idol, Kobe Bryant
HOUSTON — While all these games for the iconic Los Angeles Lakers are about the end of Kobe Bryant‘s career, it was a 26 year old guard who stole the show Sunday afternoon.
With Bryant’s final game in the state of Texas finally over, James Harden was doing what his idol used to do in him prime: Take over games.
Harden scored 20 fourth quarter points in leading the Houston Rockets past the Lakers, 130-110, in front of a noisy Toyota Center crowd. For the afternoon, Harden scored 40 points while Bryant added 35 points. It was this fourth quarter stretch where Harden just made a mess of Metta World Peace and whoever else was guarding him to secure the game for the Rockets.
“I was sitting on the sideline watching him go off,” Bryant said. “James is such a fantastic player, all I can do is sit on the sideline and shake my head at some of the plays he was making, the shots he was making. Those are difficult shots for 90 percent of the players in the league, he makes them look effortless.”
Houston can’t afford anymore slip ups, one loss, just one, in the final week of the season equals doom. It doesn’t matter what the Utah Jazz or even the Dallas Mavericks do, Houston has to win all its games.
The Lakers were playing for pride and were making things miserable for the Rockets until Harden took over. He was being smothered by defenders, much like what Dallas did to him the Wednesday night in a Rockets loss. Somehow, Harden was able to get free to make plays. With the Rockets lead just two points, Harden drove the lane after a timeout and hit a floater over World Peace to push the lead to four.
Harden assisted on a Jason Terry bucket and then World Peace hit a jumper — like he was Ron Artest at St. John’s — that cut the Rockets deficit to four
Then Harden took over. He scored on a dunk, thanks to a Terry steal and on the next possession hit a 27-foot pull up 3-pointer over World Peace. The lead was nine and Byron Scott called timeout with 7:15 left.
Bryant could just watch with amazement as the kid he helped groom was showing him how special he’s gotten.
“I think it’s kinda of a passing of the torch thing,” Patrick Beverley said. “They’re really good friends, Lakers, Cali of course. James has worked with him before, learned a lot from him.”
Harden wasn’t finished. He hit another jumper, a 3 over Tarik Black pushing the Rockets to a 105-96 lead. Then to close the show, Harden hit a step-back 3 with 6:04 remaining, increasing the lead to 12. As the crowd went crazy, Harden strolled down court and did a shimmy.
“I mean, obviously you grow up against a guy you watch and a guy you admire since when you were younger, in the last time you play him you want to play really well,” J.B. Bickerstaff said. “James has been really good all year long … it’s a special feeling to play against a guy that’s aging, that he grew up watching, a team he grew up watching. I think it’s a special moment for him.”
The win keeps the Rockets alive for a potential playoff berth that dwindles by the day with victories by Utah and Dallas. Missing the playoffs would constitute an epic failure for this franchise and Houston remains a game behind the eighth-seeded Jazz for the final playoff spot with three games remaining.
When his Sunday afternoon was over, Harden shared an embrace with Bryant and a talk at midcourt — a conversation which apparently forced Bryant to put Harden in a playful headlock.
“It means everything — just him embracing the city of Houston on his way out,” said Harden, who wore a pair of Crazy 1s sneakers, Bryant’s shoes when he was with Adidas. “On a side note, I just told him we need ya’ll to beat Utah, we just need some help. But other than that, it was exciting just to see him go out the right way. The NBA is doing it the right way in every single game, in every arena he goes to, they’re cheering on a legend. It’s just a great feeling.”
