LeBron/Cavs 98, Kobe/Lakers 95
People talk about a team game, yeah. But the teammates here pretty much cancelled out each other.
Ultimately, LeBron James was better than Kobe Bryant.
James got easier shots, because he's so much stronger and more physical, and made more shots late, and the Cavs overcame an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Lakers 98-95.
LeBron scored 41 on 16-of-32 shooting with nine rebounds and four assists.
Kobe scored 33 of 10-of-21 with 12 rebounds and six assists.
The key was the fourth quarter.
LeBron scored 14 in the fourth quarter on 5-for-7 shooting, including two made free throws with :09 to play.
Kobe scored nine on 1-of-7 shooting in the final 12 minutes. He was 7-for-10 from the line.
Kobe and LeBron went man-to-man for much of the quarter, and James clearly had the advantage. He could always get to the basket, and at the other end he pushed and bumped the lighter Bryant away from the basket and made him settle for bad shots.
That's three consecutive defeats for the Lakers, by the way.
In this one, Kobe's ego got the best of him. So did LeBron.