The Lakers and Suns are headed to double overtime at Staples Center. But a play at the end of regulation brought up an interesting point of debate in recent weeks. After building a six-point lead with 1:17 remaining in regulation, the Lakers allowed the Suns to tie the game again, with a pair of three-pointers. After Grant Hill's tying trey with 31.8 seconds left in regulation, the Lakers ran a play that pretty much symbolizes the point Henry Abbott of ESPN tries to make with Kobe Bryant in late game situations.
The Lakers ran an isolation play for Bryant rather than run their normal offense, which is the second-most efficient in the NBA on a per-possession basis. Bryant took a highly-contested nine-foot jumper. While Kobe may make that shot under duress more than most, it's hard to imagine how the designed play was good from a basketball standpoint, even had he made the shot. He missed, and the Lakers dodged a bullet when Vince Carter missed a potential game-winning three at the buzzer.
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