Kevin Durant did his best Kobe Bryant impression on the night that the Lakers legend had both his jerseys — No. 8 and No. 24 — retired during halftime of the Warriors-Lakers game at Staples Center.
“That was a Kobe night,” Durant said, in a video posted by Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “I had to get them up tonight for Kobe … I feel like I got good shots all night, I feel like some I rushed, trying to get it all back at once. So I just tried to slow down there in the fourth quarter and overtime, and coach called some great things, and I was able to hit a few shots.”
Durant did indeed hit a few shots toward the end of the game, most notably a game-winning, 22-footer over Lonzo Ball. The Warriors star used a great crossover to shake Ball and then calmly drained the jumper, which was reminiscent of some game-winning shots Bryant hit during the course of his career.
“It felt great leaving my hands,” he said. “I made a solid move, my handle was tight, and I had seen some separation, and I tried to just raise up and follow through and go through all my routine and my fundamentals as a jumpshooter, and it was able to go in.”
KD on his game-winner and Kobe 10-of-29 tribute pic.twitter.com/HhI0rGLwSp
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 19, 2017
All in all, it did appear to be a “Kobe night” for Durant. He got posterized on a massive dunk by Larry Nance, and also struggled to find his shot throughout much of the game, but kept firing. His persistence paid off when he hit the game-winner to lift his team to victory. It was the most fitting ending to the night that many will remember for Bryant’s No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys being unveiled in the rafters at Staples Center.
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