LeBron James scores a triple-double over Kobe Bryant on Christmas Day.
LeBron James got the gift he wanted for Christmas – Kobe Bryant. Lebron and the Miami Heat trounced Kobe and his LA Lakers, 96-80, on Christmas Day at the Staples Center, Los Angeles. The game was overly hyped because of the Heat’s Big Three playing against the NBA’s defending champion for the first time in the season.
LeBron was all over the court with his 31st career triple double – 27 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists – to win his personal battle with Kobe. Kobe managed only 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists in a losing effort. King James hit a season high 5-of-6 three pointers in toying the Lakers defense.
Kobe was the focused of the Heat’s defense all throughout of the game. Dwyane Wade made life miserable for the Laker’s MVP with his defensive game. James also had his moments guarding Kobe. The Heat clamped down on the Lakers with its defense forcing 12 turnovers on a 40.5% field goal.
LeBron and Kobe had words for each other in the closing minutes of the game. But in the end, it was LeBron who won again in front of 18,997 Laker fans. James and his former Cavaliers team won in last year’s Christmas game against the Lakers.
King James was in total control of the game as he patiently set plays for teammates, crashing the board for rebounds, disrupting Lakers plays, and picking up some steals. He outplayed the Black Mamba on Christmas Day with the world watching them.
Chris Bosh had 24 points and 13 rebounds to dominate the middle for the Heat. Wade added 18 points and six assists despite a nagging sore knee. Reserve pointguard Mario Chalmers contributed 13 points to the Heat’s 14th win in 15 games. According to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, this is one of their best offensive and poise game of the season. The Heat was in chaos at the start of the season after trying to figure out their rhythm with the new team and superstars.
This win gave the Heat a reason to celebrate and for other teams to be wary of. As long as Lebron, Bosh, and Wade are in sync offensively and defensively, the Heat is hard to beat. However, the season is still young and teams try to pick their games up. Expect everyone to gang up on the Heat and their Big Three.
Kobe and Co. are expected to pour out their frustrations on their next game against the San Antonio Spurs on December 28. The league-leading Spurs is a tough nut to crack.
James got what he wanted for Christmas Day.
Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images Video courtesy of NBA.com
I thought the Heat showed a lot on Christmas and even though it was the close game I was hoping for it was still intriguing. The Heat showed they could hang with the big boys and overcome their deficiencies that people keep talking about. The Lakers up-front did not dominant like they were supposed to be able to. The Heat are finally looking like a real team, which I guess goes to show that you do have to give even great players some time to form some chemistry.
http://chrisross91.wordpress.com/
Gotta give Lebron his due. I’ve always said if his jumpshot is going and he is hitting threes, the man is impossible to stop.
The Heat did everything right, while the Lakers did everything wrong and played very uninspired basketball. Does the win mean much in terms of whats going to happen in the playoffs? Not at all. The Heat still have to get past Orlando and Boston (a team that has destroyed them twice this season).
The Lakers and Heat have their own routes to the Finals they must take care of. It’s pointless for Lakers/Heat fans to worry about one another, because they will not play a meaningful unless they meet in the Finals.
I said before the season that if the Heat can get their players to click, they are going to be very tough to stop and they are playing the way I expected them to. They could very well be a team that can only be stopped by their own faults and mistakes.