"There was this fascinating scene at the end of the first half that spoke of the larger night and, beyond that, to the season the Heat wants to play out. LeBron James was guarded by Kobe Bryant, just as you'd want, as the night asked.

Bryant recently said only Chris Paul and Derrick Rose were clutch players in his mold. That's not the stage LeBron wants a debate to be on just now. Kobe has a career portfolio for winning big moments. LeBron is defined by his Dallas disappearance until the next Finals."