I hate the way we play down the stretch of close games

[ericp6387]

I blame Kobe, Phil and the players. Phil has to tell Kobe when he takes it too far in terms of the scoring, and he must tell the others to initiate their offense and to be aggressive themselves. But when Kobe demands the ball, he is going to get it. End of story. As he gets older and the team gains more experience together, Kobe should better learn to utilize the guys down the stretch. Lamar looks timid down the stretch only when Kobe is in his "I'm going to shoot for sure zones." We need Bynum to become at least the defensive presence we need and we need a veteran guard in Free agency. But we should still end up with 45 wins (Phil's goal) and we will battle the Suns and could upset them if we play them in a series. This has been a good season, and I am encouraged that we did not quit at all last night.

[thegreatest]