KOBE'S ROCKY HORROR SHOW NUGGETS HAND LAKERS FOURTH LOSS IN ROW DENVER 113, LAKERS 91.Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer DENVER - Inevitably, there were boos and howls, a zealous mix of hostility and derision, and Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant (born July 23 1978) is an American All-Star shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. felt it for two solid hours Wednesday night, as everyone expected he would. But really, the voices were no louder, the anger no more pronounced than in a handful of other venues this season, and by the final buzzer the Lakers' greatest source of distress - Bryant's too - was the same as it has been for two weeks: They don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. how to win anymore. While observers tried to parse relative decibel decibel (dĕs`əbĕl', –bəl), abbr. dB, unit used to measure the loudness of sound. It is one tenth of a bel (named for A. G. Bell), but the larger unit is rarely used. levels, and Lakers officials worriedly tried to shield Bryant from the hype surrounding his first game in Denver, the only absolute was the Lakers' continued ineptitude Ineptitude See also Awkwardness. Brown, Charlie meek hero unable to kick a football, fly a kite, or win a baseball game. [Comics: “Peanuts” in Horn, 543] Capt. Queeg incompetent commander of the minesweeper Caine. in the absence of Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (pronounced "shak-KEEL") (born March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey), frequently referred to simply as Shaq, is an American professional basketball player, generally regarded as one of the most dominant in the National Basketball Association (NBA). and Karl Malone The Denver Nuggets Nuggets can refer to several branches of interest:
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson (born September 17, 1945 in Deer Lodge, Montana) is the current coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, an American professional basketball team. era. They have lost six of seven and eight of 11 overall and now six in a row on the road, leaving Jackson at a loss. ``I really don't have the clarity of mind right now to speak anything that's insightful or real clear about how I feel about this game,'' he said. ``Obviously, it wasn't very entertaining from the aspect of playing basketball.'' Rookie Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kiyan Anthony (born May 29,1984) is an American professional basketball player at the small forward position for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association and the USA National Team. dominated for the 30 minutes he played, collecting 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Earl Boykins Earl Antoine Boykins (born June 2 1976 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American professional basketball player currently with the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association. College career He played collegiately at Eastern Michigan University from 1995 to 1998. scored 22 points off the bench. Bryant pushed through the strange energy of the evening, his first game here since his arrest last summer in Eagle County, and scored 27 points on 8-of-23 shooting. Gary Payton
``I've been booed before,'' Bryant said. ``I don't think about it. I don't pay attention to it. I'm out there playing basketball. You can't please everybody. Some people are going to boo you, some people don't.'' Mindful of the hype and an unusually large national media contingent, Jackson canceled the Lakers' morning shootaround, explaining later, ``There's no need to give a free shot at Kobe.'' Bryant was booed loudly during pregame introductions and every time he touched the ball, but if it was any more vicious than in Detroit or Milwaukee, it was only by small degrees. As in many other cities, there also were pockets of cheers when Bryant scored. ``I think it was the same,'' said Devean George Devean Jamar George (born August 29 1977 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. He typically plays small forward but because of his athleticism and defensive activity, can defend many shooting guards as well. . ``Mixed crowd, mixed feelings, as any crowd. ... I think he responded well, blocked it out and just tried to play ball. ``He didn't say anything to us about it. I know he wanted this game bad, because we've been playing so bad. We've been struggling to get a win. I don't think it had anything to do with where it was at.'' Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik Jeff Bzdelik (born December 1, 1952) is a former National Basketball Association coach, who coached the Denver Nuggets for slightly over two seasons, from 2002 through 2004. told his players and reporters at the morning shootaround that Bryant had guaranteed a win. The Nuggets were thus properly motivated, and the fans eager to pile on Bryant in the waning minutes of the blowout. It was all a lot of fun for the mile-high crowd, but it was based on pure fiction. Bryant never guaranteed a victory, but his comments the night before - ``We've got to get a 'W.' And tomorrow should be the night'' - apparently were exaggerated for effect. The Nuggets scored 63 points in the first half, surpassing the 62 points Minnesota scored on the Lakers the night before. Denver led by as many as 23 in the first half, and during a rare quiet moment, someone yelled, ``Where are the real Lakers?'' The Lakers wonder the same thing. For the first time, Jackson admitted his players ``are feeling sorry for themselves.'' ``It's a little difficult,'' Horace Grant said, ``but thank God it's still kind of early in the season. I think things would have been thrown and people would have been shouted at and yelling and all that if it was around April. I've got my fingers crossed that it doesn't happen.'' Amped up or perhaps anxious, Bryant was shaky in the opening minutes. He missed his first jumper, a quick 20-footer on the first possession, then committed two turnovers. ``He didn't have a great basketball game,'' Jackson said. ``Kobe's played some great ballgames on this court, but he didn't have one of his great games on this court. But he was competitive, aggressive, and tried to shoulder a little bit of it on his own - maybe too much. But still in all, that's what he does.'' Howard Beck, (818) 713-3613 howard.beck(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1 -- color) Kobe Bryant, left, returned to the basketball court in Colorado for the first time since being charged with sexual assault. David Zalubowski/Associated Press (2) Denver rookie Carmelo Anthony, who finished with 20 points, grapples with Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who scored 27 points on 8-of-23 shooting. John Leyba/Denver Post Box: GAME RECAP |
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