Chapter 59: Preseason Game 7:…Doesn't Keep the Loss Away

Kobe jogged out for the third quarter with the noise of the Garden rolling down from the upper levels. It had been loud before halftime. Somehow, it felt tighter now.

New York sent the same five back onto the floor, and Harris didn’t change the group that had finished the half. Kobe took his place on the perimeter and looked across the court. Ewing was already beside Shaq.

The first possession went to Kobe above the arc. Shaq came up from the block and planted himself on Kobe’s left, and Kobe used the screen while watching Ewing take two steps toward him before settling back toward the lane. Oakley had already pinched in from the weak side. The roll wasn’t there, but the jumper was, so Kobe stopped at sixteen feet and rose before Oakley could get close enough to matter.

The shot dropped cleanly through.

New York answered through Houston. He disappeared behind one screen along the baseline, curled around another and caught on the move. Kobe stayed with him through the first, but the second created half a step, and Houston rose before Kobe could recover.

The jumper fell, bringing the Garden right back into it.

The Lakers returned to Kobe and Shaq. This time Ewing barely followed Kobe away from the screen, while Oakley took another step toward the lane before Kobe had turned the corner. Kobe pulled the ball back rather than forcing it. Shaq rolled anyway, but Ewing was waiting and Oakley had closed the other side.

Kobe moved it to Eddie and cleared through. The ball eventually came back around, and Eddie caught Houston leaning toward the middle. One hard step sent Houston farther that way before Eddie cut behind him. Kobe put the pass beneath the rim, and Eddie finished with two hands.

At the other end, Ewing fought Shaq for a catch outside the block. Shaq pushed him farther from the basket than he wanted, but Ewing took it anyway, faced, put the ball down once and turned baseline. Shaq stayed with him all the way up.

Ewing’s jumper fell over the contest.

Shaq shook his head once and ran back.

Harris changed the group midway through the quarter. Kobe looked around as the Lakers settled into their spots. Campbell had come in beside Shaq, Bowen took Houston, and Eddie moved toward Ward.

There wasn’t another point guard on the floor.

Kobe took the inbound. As they crossed half court, Eddie pointed toward Ward.

“I’ll take the one.”

Kobe looked toward Houston. “I got him.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

Eddie nodded. “All right.”

Ward brought the ball up, and Eddie met him early. Houston started across the baseline.

“Switch,” Bowen called.

Kobe released his man and stepped into Houston’s route while Bowen moved the other way. The pass still came, but Kobe got his fingers to it. Bowen collected the loose ball near midcourt and pushed it ahead, where Kobe caught it near the foul line and finished with two hands.

New York came right back to the same action. Bowen called the switch again, but Houston stopped before the exchange. Kobe had already started toward him, and that was all the space Houston needed. He faded toward the corner, caught and shot before Kobe could get back.

Swish.

Kobe glanced toward Bowen as they ran the other way. Bowen pointed toward the corner, and Kobe nodded.

They had both seen it.

The Lakers worked through Shaq over the next few possessions. Eddie attacked one reversal and missed a runner, and Shaq couldn’t control the rebound. Starks answered by getting into the lane and dropping the ball underneath to Oakley. On the next Lakers trip, Eddie caught Houston closing too hard, took one dribble past him and stopped near the foul line.

His jumper fell.

New York called timeout.

Harris met the Lakers before they reached the chairs. “They’re getting the second chance.” He pointed toward the floor with the marker. “First stop doesn’t matter if Oakley gets another possession. Find somebody and finish it.”

He drew the next coverage, tapped the board once, and looked up.

“Crash the boards.”

When play resumed, New York found the opening in the Lakers’ switches once, then the Lakers took it away. Eddie continued making Houston work, Bowen stayed attached through screens, and Shaq finally got a clean catch off a quick reversal and hammered the ball through before Ewing could square himself.

Ewing answered from the elbow.

Late in the quarter, Houston buried another jumper off a curl, and Harris brought Fisher back. The Lakers ran the ball through Shaq at the elbow, with Kobe on one wing and Eddie on the other. Shaq handed it to Eddie coming behind him, and Eddie rose before Houston could recover.

Snap.

Starks answered at the other end, and the clock moved under a minute.

Kobe caught on the left block against Ward and felt him leaning toward the middle. He spun baseline, only to find Ewing waiting at the rim. Kobe extended the ball toward the glass, but Ewing met it at the top and knocked it away. Oakley secured the rebound.

New York held for the last possession. Starks eventually got a look from the wing and missed, and Shaq pulled down the rebound as the horn sounded.

Knicks 78 – Lakers 73

Kobe turned toward the bench, then looked back. Ewing was already walking toward New York’s huddle. Nothing about him looked wrong; he wasn’t bent over or dragging behind the others.

But Kobe had seen it twice in the last few minutes. When the ball pulled Ewing away from Shaq, his recovery had taken an extra step.

The Garden was louder when Kobe returned for the fourth. Harris stayed with Kobe, Eddie, Bowen, Campbell and Shaq, while Ewing and Oakley remained together for New York.

Ward picked Kobe up before half court. Kobe crossed without hurrying, waited for Shaq to start toward the top, then gave Ward one hesitation and drove hard to his right. Ward stayed on his hip, but Kobe had the angle. Oakley stepped across from the weak side.

Kobe gathered just before Oakley’s shoulder caught him across the ribs and extended the ball high toward the glass. The whistle sounded as the shot dropped.

The collision put Kobe on the floor. He stayed there long enough for the impact to work through his side before Shaq appeared above him with a hand extended.

Kobe took it.

“You good?”

“Yeah, but that shit hurt.”

At the line, Kobe rolled his shoulder once and made the free throw.

Ewing answered with a short jumper, but Kobe came back off Campbell’s screen with Ward fighting over his shoulder. Ewing stayed closer to Shaq instead of stepping toward the ball, leaving Kobe enough room to stop at twelve feet.

The jumper fell.

Five straight.

During the next dead ball, Starks came over and pointed toward Kobe while Ward moved away. The difference showed immediately. Starks crowded Kobe farther from the action and leaned into his first cut, making him work just to get back above the arc.

Shaq came up to screen. Starks fought over, Kobe turned the corner, and Ewing came higher than he had for most of the night.

Only a step, but Kobe had been waiting for it.

He slipped the pass behind Ewing. Shaq caught it moving toward the rim and hammered it through before Ewing could recover.

Houston answered with a three.

New York changed the look again on the next possession. Starks stayed attached through Shaq’s screen while Ewing showed and recovered before anything opened behind him. Kobe took the pull-up anyway, but it came off long and Oakley secured the rebound.

The Knicks weren’t giving him the same opening twice. Kobe didn’t expect them to.

Eddie adjusted with him. He beat Houston baseline for a finish, then later buried a three after Kobe gave the ball up and cut through. Houston answered at the other end, Starks got into the lane, and Shaq scored through Ewing.

Neither team separated.

The Lakers kept coming. Eddie hit from the wing. Campbell finished after Shaq drew Oakley away from the rim. Bowen and Kobe switched a Houston action cleanly enough to force Ward into a late-clock jumper, and Campbell secured the miss.

Kobe took the outlet with a chance to push Los Angeles in front.

Shaq screened near the top. Starks went over and Ewing came higher again. Kobe slipped the ball toward Shaq, but Oakley dropped early and took away the finish. Shaq kicked it out to Bowen, who moved it to Eddie. Houston closed hard, Eddie drove him and dropped the ball toward Campbell.

Campbell finished at the rim.

The Lakers bench rose as the scoreboard changed.

Los Angeles had the lead.

Lakers 84 – Knicks 82.

New York answered, and the game stayed within a basket. Houston hit another jumper, Shaq scored inside, and Ewing answered from the elbow. Starks forced Kobe into a difficult pull-up that came off long. Houston scored again on New York’s next trip.

On the next trip, Kobe gave the ball to Shaq at the elbow and cut through. Eddie came behind him for the handoff and knocked down the jumper. New York came back empty, and Kobe took the outlet.

Larry Johnson picked him up after a switch near the top.

Kobe slowed.

Johnson gave him enough space to protect against the drive. Kobe leaned forward and attacked his front foot, forcing Johnson backward, then stopped behind the line while Johnson’s weight was still carrying him toward the rim.

Kobe rose.

Swish.

Lakers 91 – Knicks 88.

Van Gundy called timeout.

Kobe walked toward the bench as the Knicks gathered across the floor. Harris crouched in front of the group with the board balanced against one knee and drew up the next possession.

Kobe wiped his face with the towel Bowen handed him, watching the marker move across the board. Around him, the others leaned in while the Garden stayed loud beyond the huddle.

The horn sounded. Kobe handed the towel back and stood.

When the Lakers returned to the floor, Starks was waiting above the arc. Ewing stood several steps behind him.

Kobe took the inbound and came forward.

Starks stepped toward him first.

Ewing came with him.

The trap closed as Kobe came off Shaq’s screen, but the ball was gone before it could hold him. Kobe bounced it through the gap to Eddie near the top. Houston scrambled back, but Eddie had enough room to rise from inside the line.

All net.

New York answered through Ewing, who fought Shaq for the catch and knocked down a baseline turnaround.

The trap came again on the next possession. Kobe got it to Eddie, Eddie moved it to Bowen, and Johnson closed. Bowen tried to send the ball inside to Campbell, but Oakley reached across the lane and knocked the pass away.

New York had covered the rotation that time.

On the next opportunity, they didn’t.

Starks and Ewing came high again. Kobe held the dribble for an extra beat and pulled Ewing farther from the basket, then bounced the ball between the two defenders as Shaq slipped behind him.

Shaq caught near the foul line with Oakley too far away to matter.

Shaq took one step and hammered it through

New York called timeout.

Harris started talking before everyone reached the chairs. “They’re sending Ewing. Get it out before they can hold you there.”

He pointed toward Shaq. “If he comes up, go. Don’t wait.”

Then toward Eddie and Bowen.

“Be ready for the extra pass.”

The horn brought them back.

From there, the game tightened. New York kept sending the second defender whenever Kobe used Shaq, and Kobe kept moving the ball before they could pin him against the sideline. Sometimes the rotation opened something; sometimes New York got back quickly enough to take it away.

Bowen missed one look and made another. Eddie attacked a closeout and couldn’t finish. Shaq scored inside, Houston answered from the elbow, and Kobe got the ball back after one trap left him open on the wing.

He missed.

Ewing missed at the other end.

Nobody could pull ahead.

Under two minutes, Starks met Kobe near half court with Ewing already creeping higher. Kobe waved Shaq away and attacked before Starks could settle, reaching the foul line before Oakley stepped into his path.

Kobe stopped short and rose from fourteen feet.

Front rim.

Ewing secured the rebound.

New York came down deliberately. Houston crossed the baseline while Starks held the ball above the arc, and Ewing fought Shaq for the block before giving it up and coming toward the elbow.

The pass found him there.

Ewing faced Shaq, jabbed once and got nothing. He took one dribble to his right and rose with Shaq’s hand following him.

The jumper dropped.

“YEAHHHH! LET’S GO, KNICKS!”

The Garden shook with it.

Kobe took the inbound and looked at the scoreboard.

Knicks 100 – Lakers 99.

He brought the ball across with Starks waiting for him. Shaq came up, Ewing moved with him, and the trap formed again. Kobe got rid of it early, finding Eddie before the second defender could close.

Eddie drove the gap. Oakley stepped across, so Eddie sent the ball inside to Shaq.

Ewing recovered.

Shaq turned into the lane and put it up through the contest.

Miss.

Oakley secured the rebound.

Less than a minute remained.

Starks crossed half court without hurrying, keeping the ball on his hip as the Garden rose around him. Kobe stayed low in front, but New York waited for Ewing to establish himself near the right block.

Starks made the entry with the clock slipping under forty-five seconds.

Ewing turned into Shaq, gave him one hard shoulder and tested the middle before spinning back toward the baseline. Shaq stayed attached and forced him farther from the rim.

Ewing faded with Shaq’s hand following him.

The shot hit the front rim.

Campbell had inside position on Oakley, and for an instant the rebound looked secured. Oakley reached through the space between them and got one hand to it, knocking the ball loose before Campbell could bring it down.

Shaq reached back. Kobe stepped toward the lane.

The ball had already bounced outside the crowd.

Houston got there first.

He gathered near the foul line, squared his shoulders and rose before Bowen could close.

Swish.

The Garden exploded.

“DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE!”

Harris signaled timeout.

Knicks 102 – Lakers 99.

Thirty-one seconds remained.

Kobe walked toward the bench with Shaq behind him. Harris stepped into the middle of the group and drew the action quickly.

“Shaq, bring it high. Get into it early.”

The marker moved toward the weak side.

Then Harris looked at Kobe.

“Make the read.”

Kobe nodded.

“Everybody else be ready.”

The horn sounded.

Kobe returned with Eddie to his left, Bowen opposite him, Campbell near the baseline and Shaq walking toward the top. Starks waited above the arc.

Kobe took the inbound and crossed half court.

Shaq arrived.

Kobe used the screen. Starks fought over Shaq’s shoulder, Ewing stepped up, and Kobe kept the dribble alive long enough to pull him another step from the lane.

Then Oakley came from the side.

The trap closed.

Kobe saw Eddie before either defender reached him. Houston had taken one step toward the middle to cover Shaq’s roll.

It was all the space Eddie was going to get.

Kobe passed.

Eddie caught in the corner with his feet underneath him and rose as Houston turned back.

Kobe was already moving toward the paint.

The ball hit the back rim.

Oakley came down with it.

Kobe reached for the foul before Oakley could turn away, and the whistle sounded with twenty-one seconds left.

Oakley walked to the line.

The first free throw fell.

So did the second.

Knicks 104 – Lakers 99.

Harris kept the last timeout. Van Exel checked in during the dead ball, and the Lakers pushed quickly. Kobe crossed half court and gave it up when Starks crowded him. Van Exel took the three from the right side.

Clank.

Ewing secured the rebound.

No one fouled.

The final seconds disappeared beneath the noise, and when the horn sounded, Kobe was already turning toward the sideline.

Knicks 104 – Lakers 99

Kobe: 27 PTS, 5 REB, 8 AST, 2 STL

The Garden stayed loud as the players met briefly near midcourt. Kobe exchanged a few handshakes before turning toward the tunnel. A few feet away, Shaq and Ewing clasped hands and spoke for a moment before separating.

The locker room was quieter.

Van Exel sat at his stall unlacing his shoes. Eddie dropped his jersey into the laundry bin and headed toward the showers. Shaq sat with a towel over his head, elbows resting on his knees.

Kobe sat down and worked the knot loose in his left shoe. He took it off, then the other, and set both beneath his locker. Around him, zippers opened and closed, water ran behind the shower wall, and someone near the training table asked for another bag of ice.

After a minute, Kobe stood.

Reporters had already crowded around Harris by the time he reached the corridor.

“Del, you put the ball in Bryant’s hands for most of the fourth quarter. Why?”

“Because we needed something different.”

“You’re comfortable putting that responsibility on an eighteen-year-old?”

Harris looked toward the reporter.

“You watched the game.”

Another question came from behind him.

“Is Bryant still coming off the bench?”

“We’re evaluating combinations.”

“What did you think of Bryant playing alongside Jones and Bowen?”

“My answer isn’t going to change.”

Another question started before Harris finished.