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| NBA Sunday |
Sunday will have six games played, as the games will include
Indiana Pacers (3-3) vs
Cleveland Cavaliers (5-1),
Los Angeles Lakers (1-4) vs
New York Knicks (2-4),
Toronto Raptors (5-1) vs
Miami Heat (3-3),
Phoenix Suns (3-3) vs
Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3), and
Detroit Pistons (4-1) vs
Portland Trailblazers (4-2).
Lakers-Knicks
Kobe Bryant always loved the history at Madison Square Garden, even before he made some of his own.
"I always try to take a look around, always try to kind of embrace the moment and kind of feel the energy a little," Bryant said. "I always try to make it a point to do that. Is it a little different this time around? Yeah."
With the
Lakers only visiting the
New York Knicks once this season, Sunday afternoon could perhaps be
Bryant's last time visiting Madison Square Garden as this will be his his first their in nearly three years. And as it may be
Bryant's favorite building performing in more than any other.
He's playing in MSG as well as anybody to. His average of 30.7 points in 15 games is the highest among active players, and his 61 points there on Feb. 2, 2009, remains the record for a visitor.
And when he takes the floor Sunday, the memories of that night, maybe his first All-Star Game in 1998, and others will come rushing back. And just as quickly,
Bryant will push them aside again.
"You think about it a little bit, but I block all that stuff out, just go out and play," Bryant said.
The
Lakers (1-4) opened a five-game road trip Friday night across the East River in Brooklyn by picking up their first win, 104-98 against the Nets now (0-7).
Bryant insisted afterward that if he does play beyond this season, it would be in
Los Angeles.
Knicks President
Phil Jackson,
Bryant's coach on five championship-winning teams, said before the season he didn't believe this would be
Bryant's last, but that perhaps it would be his last in purple and gold. Inferring he would want
Bryant to play for him in
New York.
"How many times do I have to say it?" the 37-year-old said. "I've said it so many times. I'm here, I'm a Laker for life. I'm not playing anywhere else no matter what. It's just not going to happen. I bleed purple and gold, and that's just how it's going to be."
"I really just appreciate the game the way it's been played over the years and I appreciate the competition, so it's like, the biggest sign of respect to me would be to approach it just like it was any other game and try to kick our butt just like it was any other game," he said. "Those are the things that I hold extremely dear."
Knicks fans may want to beat him, but many will cheer him. It's always been that way in
New York and that was proven again Friday night in Brooklyn, where he received such loud applause that
Los Angeles coach Byron Scott said one Nets player told him it felt like a road game.
"When you talk about New York, they are basketball fans, big time," Scott said. "They love greatness and they're going to show their appreciation. No matter if they don't like you as a team or not, they love great players."
Carmelo Anthony has not performed well in the early going, as he is shooting 36.6 percent from the field during the Knicks 2-4 start after finishing with 17 points and 5 turnovers in Friday's 99-92 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The
Knicks never led against the Bucks, and they're really struggling behind the arc at MSG. New York is shooting 21.2 percent from 3-point range there, making just 14 of 66 attempts.
Anthony has averaged 32.0 points in three home games against the Lakers in a
Knicks uniform, all New York wins.
