COMMENTARY | Kobe Bryant may have led the Los Angeles Lakers in a Game 3 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he still failed to make the type of statement necessary to rally his team back from series deficit of 0-2.
If the Lakers are going to overcome the odds and beat the Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals, they'll need a signature game from Bryant.
Granted, his 36-point effort in Game 3 was nothing short of stellar. But it still lacked the clout of a performance that puts the other team in check. These are games that leave opponents shaking their heads, wondering how they can stop the Black Mamba. Kobe has done that with regularity -- especially in the playoffs. With the debacle of Game 2 resting largely on the shoulders of Bryant, the time has come for him to show the world that he's not quite finished.
It's time for Kobe Bryant to make a statement.
The Thunder are rolling, and it's clear at this point that they are playing with extreme confidence. They should too, since they are a younger, faster, and deeper team than the Lakers. But the one thing they are missing is championship pedigree.
Deeply rooted within the framework of this series is the proverbial chip on the shoulders of the Thunder players. For the time being, the Lakers are still the champions between the two, and until Oklahoma City wins one of their own, they still have something to prove.
Confidence without ability is useless, and the Thunder certainly aren't lacking in self-belief. But they don't yet have the credentials that Los Angeles does. Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and James Harden know how good they are, but if Kobe Bryant has some Mamba left in him, he'll make a statement that shows them just how difficult it is to put together a championship run, even when the talent disparity seems lopsided in favor of the Thunder.
The Miami Heat, for example, had a hard lesson in this fact ever since they decided to roll out the fog machine and hold a subsequent celebration. They have yet to have anything to celebrate about and are on the verge of experiencing another long summer.
Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum have won multiple championships together, and it will be up to them to find the formula to overcome the adversity they've faced this postseason. For the Lakers to have any realistic opportunity to win it all, a vintage, dominant performance from Kobe has to be on the horizon.
It's not going to be simple, though, as Bryant has been frustrated by Thunder defenders Thabo Sefolosha and James Harden. They have been able to take Bryant out of his comfort zone and force him to take extremely difficult field goal attempts. Fortunately for Lakers fans, he's made a career out of making those tough shots.
Bryant is as smart a player as there is in the NBA, and he understands how important it is to send a message to the Thunder by dominating a game. The question that remains is whether or not he has the stamina to do it against perhaps the most energetic team left in the 2012 NBA Playoffs.
Game 2 was a game the Lakers needed in order to shift the momentum of the series, and it was Bryant's chance to shine. Instead, he struggled mightily.
Now, the Lakers need to strike the fear they had instilled in the Thunder players prior to a late-game Kevin Durant go-ahead runner in Game 2.
Bryant's time is now. He has to put on a show in the 2012 Western Conference Semifinals, starting with Game 4. Otherwise, the Thunder will realize that Durant is likely to become the heir apparent to his greatness.
Michael C. Jones is a Yahoo! Featured Contributor in Sports and covers the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA. He has written for southern California's Press-Enterprise and Examiner.com. Follow Michael on Twitter @MikeJonesTweets.
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