The most consistent knock on the Lakers this season has not been about their offense, but rather their defense. When you put together a team with that many old men, you are not going to beat the young bucks back in transition. But you can beat teams like the young Bucks with a different kind of defense.
Great all around game by our team tonight! Outstanding defensive effort! Let’s continue to build on it. #GoLakers
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) January 16, 2013
In this case, it was Kobe Bryant’s suffocating defense on Brandon Jennings that led the Lakers to their second straight victory, 104-88 over Milwaukee.
”I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody put that much pressure on a point guard full court for a whole game,” Jennings said after shooting 4-for-14 and scoring just 2 points in the first half. ”It was probably the best defense somebody’s ever played on me since I’ve been in the league – just constantly putting pressure on me, touching me, hitting me at all times in the game. He wouldn’t let me just catch the ball easy, and I wasn’t able to get the ball a lot, so it was pretty difficult.”
Our tweeter sat this one out — his fifth straight missed game because of a concussion, but it is looking more likely that he’ll return Thursday night against the Miami Heat.
Without him, Dwight Howard and Bryant each scored 31 points. Bryant has reached 20 points in 22 consecutive games.