The TNT commentary desk spoke again, delivering the fairest assessment of Kobe's performance.
Kevin Harlan's tone was sincere. The excitement from earlier had faded, replaced by a touch more reason.
"Fans often say that Kobe could make or break a game."
"That saying could not have been more fitting for this game."
"The missed clutch shot at the end did indeed bury the Lakers' hopes of a comeback."
"But we absolutely cannot blame this young superstar for that."
"If not for Kobe's explosive output throughout the game, and those two life-saving threes in the fourth quarter—"
"The Lakers would never have had the chance to drag the game into the deciding moments. They would have collapsed long ago."
"With his supreme individual ability, he had forcibly stood up against the entire Knicks Dynasty."
"His 49-point NBA Finals performance was enough to prove his worth and strength."
Marv Albert added at the right moment, his tone filled with regret.
"This is the cruelty and charm of competitive sports."
"You can give everything—effort, skill, determination—and still lose to the luck of the moment."
"Tonight, the goddess of fortune clearly was not on the Los Angeles Lakers' side."
"A tiny drop in stamina, a slight deviation in trajectory, rewrote the entire battle."
"The Lakers deserved to win. Their performance deserved every honor the NBA Finals stage had to offer."
Bill Walton gave the final summary, looking far ahead and seeing through the essence of the series.
"This Game 1 loss is by no means a bad thing for the Lakers."
"They have figured out the Knicks' cards, and seen through Li Fei's weaknesses in style and his pattern of stamina consumption."
"Phil Jackson's tactics worked perfectly. They simply lacked that final bit of luck."
"This series is far from over. The Lakers' chance