Bryant Rises to the Occasion

Former President Bill Clinton commanded the court at halftime, with a plea for disaster relief for Haiti. Once basketball activities resumed, Kobe Bryant and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers owned the court, particularly when it mattered most.
It was generally a good showing for the Knicks, who were making a rare appearance on national television. The final impression, however, was of a team unable to make critical plays against a clearly superior opponent.Bryant led the way with 27 points, although he struggled with his shot (8 for 24) and spent most of the game deferring to his teammates. Bryant was frustrated by his team’s lack of grit in the loss to the Cavaliers and seemed to carry a foul mood to the Garden.
Chris Duhon and Jared Jeffries alternated for most of the night checking Bryant. He went 2 for 8 in the first half and appeared to aggravate his fractured right finger — which has a protective splint — on a breakaway layup in the third quarter. When Bryant flipped the ball up instead of dunking, the fans booed.