Forty-eight points later, it was clear that it would take more than a sprained shoulder to slow down Kobe Bryant.
After falling on a layup attempt in the first quarter, Bryant went to the locker room for treatment. He returned to shoot 14-of-26 from the field and 16-of-18 at the line in the Lakers’ 117-99 victory over Toronto.
“There were certain things that I could not do with it, but I could still raise my arm up and still move it from side to side,” Bryant told the media. “Some of the movements I couldn’t do — like tying my shoe — were not really important.