HOUSTON — After watching Kobe Bryant defend LeBron James during the final minutes of last night’s All-Star Game, you’d be forgiven for thinking Bryant thought he was playing in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
“[Bryant] was talking during the timeout he wanted to take [James] one on one,” Spurs point guard Tony Parker said, “and he did a pretty good job.”
In a game usually devoid of defense, Bryant took on the challenge of shutting down the reigning league and Finals MVP down the stretch last night’s game, and succeeded in doing so. Bryant hounded James throughout the fourth quarter, holding him to a pair of free throws and 0-for-4 shooting from the field in the fourth as the Western Conference came away with a 143-138 victory.
“The last eight minutes are always intense and that’s what the fans want to see, that competitive spirit,” Bryant said after finishing with nine points, eight assists and two blocks — both on shots by James. “I think we gave them a pretty good show. It was competitive throughout.”
A year after James passed up a chance to take a game-winning shot with Bryant guarding him in the waning moments of the All-Star Game and at the end of a week where Michael Jordan had said he’d take Bryant and his five rings over James and his one, Bryant bodied up James over the final few minutes, hounding him every step and making it difficult for James to get anything offensively.
James finished the game with 18 points on 7-for-18 shooting, but was a non-factor as the Western Conference closed out the game thanks to Bryant’s suffocating defensive performance.
“He does it all the time,” James said of Bryant’s defense late in games. “I am absolutely not surprised. It was two guys who love to compete, love to go at it. It was a lot of fun.”
The biggest play Bryant made came when James rose up to take a jumper with 2:39 remaining and the East trailing 134-126. Bryant anticipated the move perfectly, swatting the shot and leaving Kevin Durant a wide-open path to the basket for a tomahawk dunk that put the West ahead for 10 and sealed the win.
“I knew he wanted to shoot it,” Bryant said. “He was thirsty for one.”
Bryant got another block on James inside the final minute, bodying him up the entire length of the court and then swatting James’ attempted layup out of bounds.
“He didn’t say much,” Bryant said. “He said I fouled him. I said, ‘Yeah, I pretty much foul every play.’
“I’m an ’80s baby. That’s what we do.”