What a difference a year makes.
The red-hot Toronto Raptors exacted revenge on Kobe Bryant and the Lakers by posting a thrilling 96-92 victory over Los Angeles Friday night at the Air Canada Centre.
Toronto's Chris Bosh pressures Lakers guard Kobe Bryant as he moves the ball down the court during the first half.
(Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
The Raptors extend their season-long winning streak to five games with the victory as all-star forward Chris Bosh, coming off a 41-point effort in Wednesday's win over Orlando, poured in 29 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
Toronto, who sports a 27-23 record, remains one of the league's hottest teams, winning seven straight home games, and nine of its last ten overall, while leading the Atlantic Division.
Last season the Raptors didn't get their 27th victory until April 15, en route to a 27-55 record.
Bryant will forever be remembered for one of the greatest scoring performances in recent NBA history, torching the Raptors for 81 points in Los Angeles on Jan. 22, 2006. It was a masterful performance by Bryant but undeniably a low-point for the Raptors, a franchise that was trying to dig its way out of a deepening hole.
But on Friday, the Lakers' star guard was limited to 25 points, below his season average of 28.6 per game.
"Defensively against Kobe it was a team thing, you've got to be conscious of where he is at all times and make him take the tough shots," Toronto's Anthony Parker said.
"They really packed it in on us," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson. "They weren't going to let Kobe get to the middle, Lamar [Odom] had a hard time trying to find his way in penetration."
Parker scored 18 points for the Raptors, while Andrea Bargnani added 14 points and Morris Peterson finished with 10 points.
Action peaks in last quarter
After an ugly first half, the tempo and action really picked up in the final quarter.
Toronto led 72-65 going into the fourth quarter and looked to have sewn up the victory when it took a 12-point lead on a three-pointer by Peterson with just under eight minutes remaining in regulation.
But the Lakers went on an 11-0 run and connected on three consecutive three-pointers to tie it 86-86 with 3:27 remaining.
Moments later, Bryant picked up a steal and scored a basket to give the Lakers their first lead of the second half, 90-88, but Peterson drained on a key three-pointer to put the Raptors back ahead for good.
Bryant missed a wide-open three-point attempt with a second left on the clock, allowing the Raptors to walk away with victory.
"When you win, everybody's happier," said Raptors guard Jose Calderon. "Last year, we'd always lose these kind of games, and it was bad for the fans. This year is different. Hopefully every game will be like this one."
The Raptors take on the Pistons in Detroit Saturday night.
With files from Canadian Press
