More than perhaps any player this side of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant is all business on the court.
So after a 112-95 upset win over the the Warriors on Sunday, the Lakers guard made sure the NBA's current super team understood the task at hand and instructed Warriors forward Draymond Green to make sure he keeps his teammates focused in their attempt to win back-to-back titles.
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"He's the one that has to keep his finger on the nerve with this team, because it can get lax, it can get comfortable," Bryant said of Green, via The Vertical, "and I think he's the one that's going to have to create that conflict, that tension in the locker room, because if they don't have that, then in the playoffs, then they are going to be in trouble. He's got to give them that conflict."
It was just the Warriors' sixth loss, four of which have come to teams that are not currently in the playoff picture. Green said he took Bryant's words to heart, calling him "one of the best to ever do it."
"That's a guy who's been there, done that, he's won back-to-back championships, like we're trying to do, so he knows what it takes, he knows what you have to do," Green said. "You just take the advice. You know you have to bring some leadership to the table and you just remember what he told you. I'm not sure how you do it, but try to find a way."
Bryant won three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002 and helped the Lakers go back to back again in 2009 and 2010, so it's probably not a bad idea for Green to take his words to heart.
Stud of the night
James Harden put the Rockets on his back yet again, helping his team upset the Raptors 113-107. Harden had 40 points and 14 assists in 40 minutes, helping the team pull out a victory in the fourth quarter.Dud of the night
Zach Randolph had been playing very well over the past 10 games but the Grizzlies big man took a big step backward Sunday. Randolph struggled in a 109-100 loss to the Suns, scoring just eight points on 3-of-10 shooting as his team saw its three-game winning streak end.
Tweet of the night
The Bucks came out on the losing end of a 104-96 affair against the Thunder, but Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo showed why they call him "The Greek Freak" with plays like this. Antetokounmpo finished with a triple-double — 26 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and four blocks.
"No Defense Can Stop That!"https://t.co/6fg3tUDiG5
— NBA (@NBA) March 7, 2016
Looking ahead:
Kings (25-36) at Pelicans (23-38), 8 p.m. ET: Both teams are outside of the playoff picture but that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun to watch. They feature two of the best big men in the league — Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins and New Orleans’ Anthony Davis — and both former Kentucky stars are capable of putting up big numbers on any given night.