LOS ANGELES - For all the drama and suspense Kobe Bryant has provided and experienced in his Lakers career, this is the first time he has navigated the excitement of trying to secure a tenuous playoff berth late in the regular season.
One of the great aspects of Bryant's career has been raising his level of performance higher than already great regular-season play - and he has been treating this stretch run like a postseason.
Behind Bryant's 24 points and nine assists on an off-night for Dwight Howard, the Lakers edged the Memphis Grizzlies, 86-84, in a crucial game for the Lakers' bid to land the eighth and final Western Conference playoff berth. The Lakers are now one-half game ahead of Utah, which holds the tiebreaker, with six regular-season games left.
Bryant has made the playoffs comfortably in 15 of his 16 seasons, the lone exception coming in 2005, when the Lakers were far out of contention down the stretch after Bryant missed a month because of an injury in his first season without Shaquille O'Neal.
After playing nearly all 48 minutes in the Lakers' previous two games, both won despite Steve Nash's hamstring injury, Bryant pushed himself to his limits again Friday night. At the insistence of his trainer, Tim Grover, Bryant took two short rests this time while again ramping up his defensive effort and handling Nash's playmaking duties in a 421/2-minute outing.
It was against Memphis back in late January that the Lakers aired out their problems in a team meeting but still lost immediately thereafter to the Grizzlies and dropped to 17-25 on the season.
Bryant said after this victory about the Lakers' improvement now to 40-36: "Better late than never." He also said if the Lakers can fare well here against some playoff-caliber opponents - Sunday against the Clippers is the next challenge - it'll boost the team's confidence and leave the Lakers "ready to roll" in the postseason.
• Read more articles by KEVIN DING
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