Kobe Had Better Pray His Dream 61 Doesn't Turn Into A Nightmare

CLEVELAND - I'm reminded of the great Michael Jordan whenever one of today's top NBA superstars does something loaded with brilliance.

Last night, it was Kobe Bryant that did it. Again.

Bryant, 30 scored a sizzling 61 points in a 126-117 Los Angeles Lakers victory over the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden. It broke Bernard King's 24-plus year old record at the "new" Garden as well as Jordan's 14-year old opponent's mark.

While Bryant drilled 19 baskets and all 20 of his foul shots in a dizzying display of basketball prowess, the singular performance may have been a very bad sign for the outstanding Lakers. With their victory last night, L.A. improved to 38-9 but their smooth sailing could be close to crashing down. Center Andrew Bynum, an integral cog in their machine this season suffered an injury over the weekend that could sideline him for three months.

Ouch.

Bynum's great productivity and presence wasn't missed in MSG last night, thanks to Bryant's virtuoso performance as well as Pau Gasol's overshadowed excellence (31 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists). But make no mistake, the Lakers will not be the same powerhouse they've been thus far. Bryant's mega scoring sprees will actually make the Lakers far easier to defend. Coach Phil Jackson already mentioned in recent days that the team isn't very physical and Bryant himself mentioned that they need to toughen up.

Bynum's absence will further compromise both things. Even though he will most likely return for the playoffs, the remaining 35 regular season games will be a challenge. If Bryant has to ramp up his offense, it will ultimately hurt their rhythm and reorder everyone's roles. I'm not trying to predict gloom and doom, but it could happen. When Bynum had a similar situation last season, it barely affected the team due to the shocking acquisition of Gasol shortly thereafter. 

Don't count on that this time.

Everything could end up smooth sailing for the team, but it's not likely. The Western Conference is still very formidable and if Kobe becomes a one-man show in spite of Gasol's talents, it will get very difficult.

But Kobe would still be a treat to watch.