8 takeaways from the Lakers-Warriors contest

(L-R) Steve Blake #5, Jodie Meeks #20 and Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers walk off the court after Kobe Bryant #24 injured himself against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter at Staples Center on April 12, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers defeated the Warriors 118-116. (Getty Images)

That was too close for comfort. Steph Curry almost had the greatest game winning shot of all-time. From back court, with hardly any run up to it, he launched a prayer, which would have given the Warriors a 1 point lead with 1.5 seconds left. It just hit the outside of the rim. Curry did his best to stave off a Lakers victory with his 47 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds. But the Lakers held on to win 118-116.

Here are 8 takeaways from this game:

Kobe Bryant gives his all

It would be one thing if Kobe wasn’t bothered by his knee, but the Mamba was limited today. It is a testament to his determination that even after being limited he finished with 34 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists while he shot 9-21 from the field. As the game went on, Bryant bumped his knee on a drive and went down hard. After a few agonizing seconds on the floor he stood straight up again. This is not the time to nurse your wounds. Kobe was a little banged up but of course he remained in the game. He ended up missing some easy layups and was seen hobbling more than once after that.

Maybe it would be good for the Lakers if Coach Mike D’Antoni would save Kobe from himself by managing his minutes a bit. But then Kobe wouldn’t be around to pull off his heroics. Normal rules don’t apply to him for good reason. With 5:28 remaining, the Lakers were down 6. Kobe time. A couple of Hail Mary three pointers later the game was tied. Then Kobe went down for the umpteenth time, was it his ankle or knee or just the entire leg protesting against the punishment?

He would not return in this game. With 3:06 remaining Kobe hit his free throws and hobbled away from the court. With his final breath of the game he tied the score for his team. Right after that Steph Curry missed a jumper and World Peace grabbed the board and was fouled on the rebound. He hit both free throws to give the Lakers a two point lead. It was back and forth after that until the Lakers finally put the game away. Kobe has reportedly torn his left Achilles tendon, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.

Steph Curry had 32 points

Curry had 32 at the half at Los Angeles. He finished with 47 while shooting 9 of 15 from three point range. There is no question that he is the best shooter in the NBA today and he is making a case for being one of the best of all-time, if not the best.

Freebies

The Lakers went 38-50 from the charity stripe; the Warriors only took 16 free throws and made 13 of them. Dwight Howard must be thanking his stars today after he shot 14 of 22 from the line. Better than his season average, abysmal by normal standards. Opponents look at fouling Howard as something almost equal to gaining possession. Today Howard held his own. Bryant alone attempted as many free throws as the entire Warriors team; he went 13-16 from the line.

Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers is defended by David Lee #10 of the Golden State Warriors in the first half at Staples Center on April 12, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)

Pau Gasol is one of the most skilled bigs in the league

There is no question that Pau Gasol is the second best player for the Lakers. To think that he languished on the bench in the beginning of the season because the coach could not figure out how to use him, makes ones blood boil. It’s not as if he was an unproven rookie. Today he showed his worth with a triple double, going off for 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. After Kobe went down it was Pau who righted the ship for the Lakers with some clutch play.

Klay Thompson is for real

He had 25 points and 7 assists today, and was a constant throne in the side of the Lakers with his stellar presence on offense.

Steve Blake redeems himself

Throughout the game Steve Blake was punished by mismatches on offense by the Warriors. But he finished with 14 points and 5 assists while going 4-8 from three point range. His threes were crucial in helping the Lakers win this. He is no Steve Nash, but he held his own today. With 42 seconds left, Blake went to the line and converted two shots to help the Lakers pull away.

Dwight Howard shines

He doesn’t have the same vertical leap, which allowed him to swat away any shot launched within 7 feet of the rim, but he finished with 28 points, 7 rebounds and one block to help the Lakers win.

The playoff stakes

While the Warriors have a cushion in the playoff seeds, the Lakers are just hanging by the thread. The Lakers got the news that the Utah Jazz had won their game vs. the Timberwolves, 107-100. That tightened the noose around their playoff hopes. But with this win, the Lakers improved to 43-37 even as the Jazz improved to 42-38. There are now two games left for both teams.

The Lakers will face the Spurs and the Rockets and the Jazz will face the Wolves again followed by the Grizzlies. The race to the eight spot could hardly be any tighter.