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He’d been away for 5 games…18 days, but black mambas don’t forget how to kill…

Gasol takes the inbound pass, passes it to The Black Mamba and then Gasol sets a weak (moving) screen while The Black Mamba goes the wrong way. Well, it was the wrong way to tie the game, but black mambas go for the kill, not the tie. So, it was the right way…

Allow me though to digress a moment to remind some and school others as to what a black mamba is and does. First of all…what it is not: It is not a racial term. The black mamba is indigenous to Africa and besides being arguably the fastest snake in the world, it is one of the deadliest snakes in the world. When cornered, it is known to deliver multiple strikes…strikes of a venom comprising neuro- and cardio-toxins of which just one bite could kill 20-25 grown men. It will strike anything moving fast enough to be deemed a threat. Unlike most snakes, the black mamba goes for the head or body. In summary, it goes for the kill, will kill any and all who threaten it, and has the weapons to inflict swift and painful termination.

Sound familiar? Black Mamba?…Kobe Bryant?

Back to the game-ending play…

THE Black Mamba takes the ball just beyond the 3-pt line. He turns, elevates, delivers the strike…nothing but net…4.3 seconds left…Lakers up 99-98. Sure, the Grizzlies had time left to get off a game-winner, but they failed…because when a black mamba bites, instinctively your next move is to find a comfy spot to die.

32 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, scored the team’s last 9 points including the game winner. Just another day in the NBA jungle for a long, slender, fast, deadly…KILLER!

Footnote: Black Mamba fans thank O.J. Mayo for missing those 2 free throws with 18.8 seconds left in the game. Thanks for setting up “Mamba Time”!