Updated: January 15, 2013, 7:37 am ET

Kobe’s Defense Becoming X-Factor for Lakers

By HOOPSWORLD
Basketball News & NBA Rumors

The NBA’s leading scorer has a new favorite subject.

His defense.

Kobe Bryant’s willingness to chase Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving around the court Sunday was a bigger point of emphasis afterward than the Lakers star’s 23 points.

Irving scored only 15 points in the Lakers’ 113-93 victory, with Bryant often keeping the Cavaliers point guard from receiving the ball in his preferred spots. Irving made only seven of 15 shots and finished well short of his average of 23 points per game.

Not coincidentally, it was the first time the Lakers held an opponent under 100 points since last year. Portland had been the last team the Lakers had kept to double digits, on Dec. 28, seven games earlier.

via Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times

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