Kobe Bryant’s 39 point performance in game one of the Los Angeles Lakers-Phoenix Suns series was misleading, as he scored just once in the fourth quarter. However he’s again in good graces with Laker fans, scoring 45 points Thursday. He had the clutch factor as well, as at one point the Lakers were down by 17 points. He stepped into his own in the fourth quarter scoring 15 points.

“It was effort,” Bryant said after the game. “You can go over execution and X’s and O’s all you want. What you have to have is effort.”

Also addressing his subpar performance in game one Kobe said, “You can put your tail between your legs or come back fighting.”

Bryant now leads all players in this series with scoring, averaging 33.0 points per game. With this victory the Lakers are still losing this series 2-1.

Yes, this game is a very good sign for the Lakers but it would still take some kind of comeback to win this series. Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, and Amare Stoudamire did not score as much as one would have assumed (10 points for Nash and Marion, 24 points for Stoudamire) but they are elite players in the NBA and will bounce back. Also Leandro Barbosa, the recently named NBA sixth player award recipient, scored 20 points, making himself the best Suns scorer in this series. All of these players are legitimate threats and Kobe will either have to stay on top of his game or the Lakers will have to look to other options for scoring.

The Suns and Lakers will tangle again on Sunday at the Staples center, with the Lakers facing elimination.