Sacramento Kings fans made it feel like old times. Then, so did Kobe Bryant.
Bryant’s tying 3-pointer with 4.8 seconds left in regulation forced overtime, and the Los Angeles Lakers regrouped to hand the Kings a 116-108 loss Wednesday night in what might have been the last game ever in California’s capital city.
“I told Phil it’s fitting it’s going to end this way,” Bryant said after sharing a laugh with Lakers coach Phil Jackson.
When the final buzzer sounded, thousands of fans refused to leave their seats, doing everything they could to protest the franchise’s possible move to Anaheim. Some cried, others took pictures. But all cheered in one, booming voice: “Here we stay! Here we stay!”
Feeling the vibrations from their locker room, Kings players Tyreke Evans, Francisco Garcia, Marcus Thornton and Donte Greenereturned to the floor.
“No matter what happens,” Garcia said, grabbing the microphone, “this is always going to be our home.”
For one, perhaps final night, it was.
A standing-room only crowd packed things beyond the 17,317-seat capacity, clanking cow bells and roaring louder than they had in years. They brought handmade signs, painted their faces and cheered their loudest to will their beloved team back.
And they nearly did.
Instead, the Lakers pulled away in overtime to earn the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, setting up a first-round series against New Orleans.
“I really feel for these fans,” Jackson said. “I’m sure it’s a sad, sad day for many.”
Thornton had 33 points and Evans added 19 to help the Kings outscore the Lakers 29-11 in the fourth quarter to rally from 20 points down. They went ahead by three until the final seconds, when Bryant delivered a shot to crush Sacramento’s hopes yet again.
WRITTEN BY STATS LLC and The Associated Press & FULL STORY HERE
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