Bryant Scores 15, Lakers Beat Celtics 112-104
BOSTON -- The TD Garden crowd said goodbye to Kobe Bryant on Wednesday night and the retiring 37-year-old star showed he has a bit left in the tank.
Bryant, suffering through a miserable shooting night, nailed a long 3-pointer to stem a Boston comeback and then pulled down his 11th rebound on the next play as Los Angeles held on for a 112-104 victory that ended the Lakers' four-game losing streak and the Celtics' four-game winning run.
Bryant, on his farewell tour through the NBA and playing on a team that won just its sixth game, finished with 15 points and three assists.
The Lakers (6-27) led by 11 midway through the fourth quarter when guards Isaiah Thomas and Evan Turner brought the Celtics (18-14) back within two with a 9-0 run. But Lakers second-year guard Jordan Clarkson hit two straight baskets and Bryant all but iced it with his second trey in five tries on the night with 1:40 remaining to make it 107-102. He added a free throw with 25.8 seconds left.
Bryant came in averaging 21.3 points in the last eight games.
When the game ended, the crowd roared as Bryant exchanged hugs with several Celtics and then acknowledged the crowd as he walked toward the exit. He stopped and exchanged hugs with Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck and his family and then did a television interview in the corner before making his way to the locker room amid more roars.
Clarkson, 10 of 15 from the floor with 24 points, scored eight straight points during a 21-5 third-quarter run that gave the Lakers a 14-point lead. But the Celtics didn't go away.
Guard Lou Williams scored 19 points and second-year forward Julius Randle came off the bench to contribute 15 points and 12 rebounds as the Lakers won for third time in December.
Thomas led the Celtics with 22 points and seven assists. Turner had 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds off the bench and forward Jae Crowder scored 17 points and guard Avery Bradley added 13.
The reaction of the TD Garden crowd to Bryant was bizarre. They treated him to the big ovation when he was introduced but then booed every time he touched the ball. There was also plenty of cheering when the Lakers scored.
Then, in the final minute, chants of "Ko-be" and "Ko-be Bryant" roared through the crowd.
Bryant didn't score until his ninth shot, which came with 3:58 left in the first half. But the Lakers managed to score 58 points in the half and kept up the pace in the third quarter.
NOTES: The Celtics presented retiring Lakers G Kobe Bryant with a piece of the famed parquet. ... Bryant, asked how big a role Boston has played in his story, said, "For the second half of my career here, it's the most important piece. Because when we lost (to the Celtics) in 2008, that was the turn for me. That was when it was like, 'Listen, I have to figure this leadership thing out by any means necessary. I can't go through this,' and that was the turning point for me." ... Wednesday marked the return of former Celtics F Brandon Bass to Boston. Celtics coach Brad Stevens credited Bass for "the example he set for his young teammates, and I'm really thankful that he was here with us." ... Trivia: The Celtics selected Antoine Walker in the 1996 draft instead of a 17-year-old Kobe Bryant.
