After learning that rookie Julius Randle is expected to miss the entire 2014-15 season, the Los Angeles Lakers were forced to move on quickly as the team took on the Phoenix Suns Wednesday night.
With the shortened roster, Kobe Bryant carried the Lakers, but couldn’t bring them to a win. The Lakers fell 119-99 to begin the 2014-15 season at 0-2.
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Byron Scott played Bryant for 28 minutes and he led all scorers with 31 points. Bryant had a high volume of shots with 25 while making 11, good for 44 percent. Most of his shots were on jumpers and he managed to hit two threes in the process. He also drew some fouls and hit all seven of his free throw attempts.
The Lakers appear to be thin on scoring options with the roster struggling with injuries. Other reliable scoring options will need to appear for the team to competitive in games. Bryant mentioned he feels comfortable after recovering from two injuries and performances like Wednesday show why.
Check out highlights from Kobe’s first 30-point performance of the season below:
Lakers Julius Randle Fractures Right Tibia, Kobe’s Reaction