Also known as the Fuck Kobe Bryant Game. This happened last year, a couple of days after Kobe dropped 81 on Toronto. I was in the middle of a season with the Pacers in NBA Live 95. My offensive strategy was basically this: jack up a three with Reggie the first five possessions, and if he was hitting, then he had the green light until he missed. If he was missing, then I would start shooting with the rest of the starters. Well, he was hitting in this particular game. He had 28 at the half (his per-game average was 29), 50 after three quarters. And then, he really got hot. He opened the fourth with a couple of threes, a couple of transition layups, a couple more threes. This is when I started thinking 81. In case you didn't know, I hate Kobe Bryant with a passion, and I figured that a kid in North Dakota beating his scoring feat on an eleven year old game on a fourteen year old video game system would have to get under his skin.
Anyways, with a last minute flurry of threes, I was sitting at 79 points, but the Pistons were stalling on offense, there were only six seconds left, and I wasn't in the bonus so I couldn't foul on purpose. Now it is almost an impossibility to tip passes, it only happens once every couple of games, but somehow, with two seconds left, Rik Smits gets his hand on one, and it starts bouncing towards halfcourt. I switch to Reggie, turbo at the ball, scoop it up at about my own three point line, and throw it up with probably .1 on the clock. Of course, it goes in for the 82. Beat that, Kobe.
