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Kobe Bean Bryant appears to be a man of his words. After his lofty and seemingly absurd playoff guarantees a few days ago, Kobe seems to be in 5th gear. “Amnesty THAT,” Bryant tweeted after the game in response to Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban and his inflammatory comments about the Lakers’ maybe needing to consider using their amnesty clause on the league’s highest paid player in the “Black Mamba”. Cuban’s comments were reportedly his way of answering a question posed to him about the Lakers’ & their struggles this season; struggles exacerbated by the reported $85 million luxury tax hit they will have to eat next year with the roster kept in tact as currently constructed.

Over his last two games Kobe is averaging 39 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, & is shooting 63% from 3-pt range. Through their last 15 games the Lakers are 11-4 and seem to be riding the hot play of Bryant, and Nash who has developed into a sort of “spot-up shooter” role that he has never had to occupy previously before in his career. With Gasol not likely to return until the start of the playoffs the Lakers are going to need a few more games such as this one in order to reach their playoff aspirations.

images courtesy of: NY Daily News (feature image) & globalgoodgroup.com (Kobe with arms stretched out)