LOS ANGELES — In the 24th game of his final season, a farewell tour to end all farewell tours, Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers lost by 29 points to a vastly superior yet unpredictable Houston Rockets team that, at times, looked bored with their opponent.
It was L.A.'s 21st loss, which is four more than anyone else in the Western Conference, and only three fewer than the pitiful Philadelphia 76ers. But for Bryant, the performance stands out as a stark contrast from the inefficient 37-year-old effigy he’s been most of this year.