Kobe Bryant has every right to be furious with his team for not putting the ball in his hands on the last possession to give the Lakers the best chance to win. Instead, the potential game-winning shot went to Steve Blake.
Yes, Steve-freaking-Blake. The same Steve Blake that averaged 5.2 PPG and shot just 33.5 percent from beyond the arc this season. Blake, the journeyman point guard who has been on seven teams since entering the league in 2003. He’s the man who allowed Ramon Sessions to be heralded as a savior in LA at the trade deadline.
So when Blake fired up an errant three-point attempt when the team was down a single point with less than five seconds to play, it came as absolutely no surprise.
Bryant has to be absolutely furious that Metta World Peace (the inbounder) decided to swing the ball to Blake off the inbound rather than the champion wearing No. 24.
The play was supposedly designed for Kobe and it needed to involve him.
This isn’t the regular season anymore. That was the biggest possession of a crucial Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals. That play might have given the Thunder an overwhelming advantage in the series now that they are up 2-0.
Blake can probably count the amount of game-winning shots he has made on one hand. The Black Mamba has hit more than he can realistically remember. When the game is on the line, who should the player formerly known as Ron Artest be getting the ball to?
It’s clear that Kobe is the only choice and the Lakers paid the price by not passing the rock his way for that shot.
It does not matter that he was slumping down the stretch. Bryant is a proven closer that would have found a way...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
