The contest had been hyped up as one of the best teams in the league playing against one of the most talented but yet underachieving squads in the NBA; with two stars from two huge markets squaring off with bragging rights on the line.
Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony played together during the Olympics and won a gold medal this past summer, which naturally created a bond between both players given that they excelled on the biggest sporting stage of the world together.
Going into the night, what made their matchup so compelling was the shift in narratives for players.
Kobe Bryant had been labeled as a selfish gunner for most of his career, but was playing a better brand of basketball heading into the contest. Indeed, so far this season Kobe has avoided monopolizing the offense to no end and taking a plethora of low percentage shots.
Instead, the Mamba has switched things up by improving his shot selection, which consequently has made him a much more efficient scorer.
As great as Bryant has been this season in terms of manufacturing high percentage shots and converting them though, the Lakers haven’t truly benefited from it as evidenced by their sub-.500 record.
Carmelo Anthony on the other hand was asked by his coaching staff early in the season to switch positions and play power forward and has embraced the role.
The Syracuse product has been the arguably most destructive scorer in the Association, mixing and matching all of his skills to punish opponents with swift and decisive moves.
That improvement alone might have sufficed to elevate the Knicks as a team, but Melo took it a step further.
The former Denver Nugget is setting the example on the defensive end, playing a much more committed and tough br...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
