Wizards rally in fourth but can't stop Kobe

December 6, 12:25 AMWashington Wizards ExaminerGeorge Panagakos

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Five of Kobe's 23 points came in the last 3:14 of the fourth.
In a word, vintage (AP Photo/Nick Wass).

Black Mamba strikes again.

Despite an amazing, 24-9 run in the last nine minutes of the fourth, the Washington Wizards fell short, 106-104, to the Los Angeles Lakers tonight.  Five of those nine Lakers points came from none other than last year's MVP, Kobe "Black Mamba" Bryant.

With 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, Kobe Bryant stepped up to the free throw line to attempt his second of two after calmly sinking his first.   The score 106-104, Lakers.  Kobe had sunk 13-for-13 from the charity stripe on the game.  There were 14 seconds to go on the game clock.  The pressure was on.  The Washington crowd was raucous in the Verizon Center, shaking, shouting, waiting...and Kobe actually missed.

After being down by as many as 20, the Wizards had a chance to tie, or even win.  Caron Butler took the ball slowly up the court, looking to add to his game-high 26 points.  He sized up the Lakers defense, he look at the clock, and let it wind down, then put up a contested shot from beyond the three point arc that seemed to hang in slow motion toward the goal, and...the ball miscued to the right with no time remaining for an Andray Blatche put-back.

Caron hugs D Fish, Kobe next in line.  Butler and Bryant served
the Lakers together in 2004 after a trade sent Butler and
Lamar Odom from the Miami Heat to the Los Angeles Lakers
in exchange for Shaquille O'Neal, but Caron would ship to
Washington the next year (George V. Panagakos).

 
The Wizards, sadly, were right there, once again.  They did it with Andray Blatche guarding Andrew Bynum, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler in the front court, and Antonio Daniels and Nick Young in the back court.

Dee Brown, can you please step down, I'm not hating on your game, I think your mixtapes are insane, but the Wizards need points from AD in the lane.

Caron and Antawn are covered when you consider PF/SF, but the Wizards do not have any solid answer for the C/SG/PG.  No one has been consistent yet.  Nick Young had another nice night against the Lakers, with 13 points, but he did a lot more than score tonight.  He led the Wizards in a second quarter run, and helped keep the Lakers from scoring in the fourth.  He got baited by Kobe Bryant on a double-pump fake with 3:14 to go, was called for a foul, and Kobe would go on to score the Lakers last five points of the game from the start of those free throw attempts, but who hasn't triggered the best in Kobe?

If McGee could stay out of foul trouble, he'd be averaging 15 and 10 easy
(George V. Panagakos).

I've had a love-hate-love relationship with many of the reserves, but I have to say, for this 3-14 team, you need to shake things up once again: start Antonio Daniels and Nick Young.  Do it.  Saturday, in the park.  Make it happen.

If you guys aren't going to play Juan Dixon, Pecherov is unruly, and JaVale McGee is going to let foul trouble dictate his game, something needs to change.

All-in-all, tonight's game was one of the best I've ever seen.  The crowd was pumping, the energy flowing.  It was just like that commercial with Caron Butler where he talks about "feeding off the energy" of the crowd...but we were one or two fans short. 

Are you going to be there next time?

Fans received a super-cool throw back mini-replica of Agent Zero's jersey, and a history
lesson that might prove helpful to some Lakers fans out there.  Pardon my online-auction
flash quality (George V. Panagakos).

Also, for those still wondering, a zephyr is a burst of wind.  The Wizards were named the Chicago Zephyrs in their 1962-1963 seasons in keeping with the phrase, "Chicago, the Windy City."  A year later, Abe Pollin's investment group bought the franchise as the Baltimore Bullets, and the rest is history.  A very happy birthday to Mr. Abe Pollin, who turned 85 last Wednesday!

Washington will head back to Chicago tomorrow, go back to being the Wizards, and try to get a second straight road win.