By JONATHAN KAY
The Orange County Register
LOS ANGELES — As time crunched, the duel began. It was worthy of
Tyson-Holyfield. Or Ali-Frazier. Or, perhaps more appropriate, Magic-Bird.
The last MVP vs. the next MVP. Maybe. If Lakers fans get their way.
Through much of the afternoon, their chants were scattered and muffled: M-V-huh?
But a minute before the showdown, Kobe Bryant stepped to the foul line, and the Staples Center crowd found its voice: “M-V-P! M-V-P! M-V-P!”
With the score tied, 79-79, midway through Sunday’s fourth quarter, Mavericks vs. Lakers turned into Dirk Nowitzki vs. Kobe Bryant.
They traded baskets, one star to another. Bryant scored the Lakers’ next 14 points. Nowitzki scored 12 of Dallas’ next 14, including a 3-pointer from the top of the key as the fourth quarter expired, knotting the game at 93-93.
In overtime, Bryant got a little more help from his teammates. He scored eight of the Lakers’ 15 points. Nowitzki scored the Mavericks’ first nine and missed a 3-pointer to tie it, with about three seconds left.
“He was battling in there. He was making strong moves,” Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said. “This is the strongest he has ever been on the post. He makes moves that … you wonder how he makes some of those shots. He’s tough-minded, and he’s becoming a better and better leader.”
And that was just Nowitzki.
Bryant, Johnson said, “didn’t cooperate on any of our defenses.” The coach spoke of playing him straight-up, double-teaming him, triple-teaming him, zoning him. None of it worked.
Bryant scored 52 points on 15-of-27 shooting. After making only three of his first 10 free throws, Bryant sank his final 17. He also had 11 rebounds.
“He took the game over, and he won it,” said Nowitzki, who finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds.
“To me, he’s the best player in the league. They’re the best team right now, so he definitely deserves it (the MVP).”
Bryant ranks second in the NBA in scoring behind LeBron James, averaging 28.2 points through 60 games. The rest of Kobe’s numbers: 6.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.95 steals. He is shooting .466 from the field and .843 from the foul line.
Nowitzki won last year’s award, averaging 24.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He shot high percentages across the board for the NBA’s best regular-season team.
Asked about the key to an MVP season, Nowitzki said: “Having the best record helps. They do have that right now, in a tough West. If they keep the best record, I think you’ve got to give it to him.”
The gunslingers face off at least twice more: March 18 in Dallas and April 4 at Staples.
Wrapping up Sunday’s game, Lakers coach Phil Jackson ran through a litany of positive statements about his team. Then he added: “To say one single thing did it — Kobe Bryant is probably the reason we didn’t lose.”
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves in hoisting an NBA trophey because the Lakers are one finger from the hub coming off the rim. I am not convinced yet they have the physical toughness inside. .height is one thing, toughness is another.