Lakers’ Nick Young lifts team with game-winning shot and trash talk in 112-110 overtime win over Spurs

Los Angeles Lakers' Nick Young (0) shoots the winning shot over San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili (20) during overtime of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 12, 2014, in San Antonio. Los Angeles won 112-110. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Los Angeles Lakers’ Nick Young (0) shoots the winning shot over San Antonio Spurs’ Manu Ginobili (20) during overtime of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 12, 2014, in San Antonio. Los Angeles won 112-110. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SAN ANTONIO — The offense soon broke down. The seconds kept ticking away. No open shots looked readily available.

So the Lakers’ star had to settle for an alternative and bail his team out with a game-winning shot that only he could make.

Kobe Bryant living up to his legend once again? Bryant providing a memorable moment in a game that entailed surpassing Michael Jordan for third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list?

Think again.

The honor went to Nick Young, whose 30-foot three-pointer with 7.4 seconds left lifted the Lakers to a 112-110 overtime victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday at AT&T Center.

Afterwards, Young led an entertaining post-game press conference that seemed just as entertaining as his team-leading 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting.

Young started out making playful references to Bryant’s trash-talking during Thursday’s practice that entailed comparing his teammates’ softness to Charmin tissue paper.

“When I’m out there, I don’t play like Charmin,” Young said. “I like Scott tissue. It’s rougher.”

Young was just getting started. He sported a “Guns N Roses” T-Shirt and compared himself to the band’s guitar player, Slash. The man who calls himself “Swaggy P” gave him a new nickname titled, “IDM” standing for “I Don’t Miss.”

“I’ve never heard of a self-acronym,” Bryant said about Young’s new nickname. “That’s great.”

Young even insisted that he told Bryant to step aside after the Lakers’ star labored through 22 points on 7-of-22 shooting, nine assists, four steals and five turnovers.

“‘Take a little break little man, you’re kind of tired,'” Young recalled saying. “He was playing point guard and huffing and puffin. I said, ‘I got this brother.'”

Young sure did.

Bryant drove right on the far side, only to draw a double team. Once Lakers guard Jeremy Lin caught Bryant’s pass at on the nearside perimeter, Spurs guard Cory Joseph immediately swarmed him. Lin did not see an open Wesley Johnson on the nearside perimeter. So instead, Lin passed the ball to Young at the top of the key.

The shot clock nearly ticked to zero. Spurs guard Manu Ginobili gave Young little space to operate. But no matter. Young elevated and made a shot that Lakers coach Byron Scott joked was “a piece of cake.”

“I have more confidence in him hitting those shots when guys are draped all over him,” Bryant said. “He loves hitting those shots.”

Young also loves soaking up the spotlight, his game-winning shot giving him a platform to talk trash to Bryant.

“No offense to Kobe, but I didn’t think I was going to get the ball that much today,” Young said. “I though he was going to break the record by at least 10 and have 40 or 50 tonight with all the cameras around today.”

Instead, the cameras surrounded Young, allowing him to say or do anything he pleased.

Young gave a shoutout to basically everyone on the team.

“Shout-out to Booz [Carlos Boozer],” Young said, “for saying, ‘Hole that!’ For having confidence in me. Shout-out to my man Jordan Hill for setting a nice screen. “Shout-out to my man Wes [Johnson] for believing in me and telling me I could make it. Shout-out to J.C. [Jordan Clarkson] for cheering me on. I couldn’t do it without y’all guys, man. Thank y’all.”

Of course, Young paid homage to Bryant, praising him for those expletive-laced tirades in Thursday’s practice.

“I think we had a good vibe,” Young said. “We all got into it with each other, and I think we need that more. It builds character, it builds chemistry, when you’re fighting amongst each other and able to brush it off and still talk and still have fun with each other.”

Young showcased that with Hill after he shouted across the locker room for only grabbing one rebound. Young then called Hill over to his locker to conduct a post-game interview. Young peppered Hill with a series of questions that reflected naturally on himself.

Young: “How do you feel about Nick’s game winning shot?”

Hill: “He put it up there man. It was good. He has a lot of confidence too. It helped us out a lot.”

Young: “Since it’s all about Nick, how do you feel about playing with Nick today.

Hill: “We played real good tonight.”

Young: But how did Nick play?

Time Warner Cable Access SportsNet’s sideline reporter Mike Trudell then handed off an assist to Young by telling him to speak into the microphone.

Hill: “Nick, you did all right. You looked me off a couple of times. But you made the shot. So I feel good and proud of you.”

Young: Do you think Nick is a very handsome man?”

Hill gave him a dirty look and awkward silence.

Young: “Do you think Nick looks better than you?”

Hill: “Hell no.”

Young: “I agree with myself.”

Young then turned to Lakers forward Wayne Ellington.

Young: “What do you think about Wayne’s haircut?”

Hill: “Did he use a hot butter knife?”

Young: About today’s game, did you think nick would end up with the last shot and make it?

Hill: “I don’t think so.”

Young: “You don’t think I would’ve made it?!”

Hill: “No, I don’t think you were going to shoot it. I didn’t think you had the last shot

But Young did, and he delivered, both with the shot and the post-game antics.


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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com