Los Angeles Lakers guard Jeremy Lin (17) shoots the basketball against Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) during the second half at Staples Center.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Jeremy Lin (17) shoots the basketball against Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) during the second half at Staples Center. USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers were hanging tough with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night, The score read 104-103 in favour of the Thunder. The Lakers had 6.3 seconds and the ball to win the game and everyone in the building knew it was Kobe Bryant time.

And so it did. Bryant went for a drive against ace defender Andre Roberson, picked up his dribble, pumped fake and shot his trademark fade-away 17-footer that just missed the mark sending the hapless Lakers to its 18th loss of the year in just 26 games. With Jeremy Lin, going of hot in the final quarter with 5-7 shooting, the Harvard standout was hoping he gets his share of game-winning attempts.

"I like game-winners too. I would love to shoot some. But I get it. That guy is kind of the king of game-winners. He's going to hit that shot. He'll figure it out. That's why he is who he is," Lin said per Baxter Holmes of ESPN.

The former New York Knicks and Houston Rockets guard clarified that he understood it was the way that the things would unfold in the dying seconds of the game, given the killer mentality of five-time champion Bryant. He said that he was rooting for his teammate to make the basket and it will only be a matter of time when he successfully does, as he has always accomplished in his career. With the way things are going for Kobe, number 13th attempt on a game winner might just change his fortunes.

Kobe has missed 12 straight potential tying or go-ahead shots in last .05 of 4Q/OT, tying his longest such streak: http://t.co/OsmDIWZAMZ

— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) December 20, 2014

Coach Byron Scott was stern-faced when asked by by reporters on the last play with just the reply of "32,000 points" as the sole explanation for the final play. It is unclear if the comments of Lin will have any ramifications in team chemistry given how fragile the state of the Lakers currently is. Nevertheless, Bryant explained that he may just have pushed himself too hard in the waning minutes of the game, losing much of his legs underneath him. Scott revealed that the former Most Valuable Player (MVP) may have pushed himself too hard on practice, and in effect wore himself during the actual game.

The decorated Lakers will have an opportunity to bounce back Sunday when they play against the equally struggling Sacramento Kings. If the next game winner presents itself during that game, Bryant now knows that a certain teammate also likes taking them.