Kobe Bryant was 19-of-30 shooting for his
second consecutive 41-point game and third in four contests amidst yet another
record-setting night, as the Lakers pounded Memphis 114-98.
Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 24,000 points,
passed veteran guard Allen Iverson -- now with the Grizzlies -- for 16th place
on the all-time scoring list and notched his 99th career game with 40-plus
points.
"It's a great honor, I think back to all the years I've played here. I learned
a lot from the guys before me," said Bryant, who was quicker to 24,000 points
by 38 days over the great Wilt Chamberlain.
There were others on the court for Los Angeles, which won its fourth in a row
to move to 5-1 on the season. Ron Artest added 19 points, seven assists and
six rebounds and Derek Fisher checked in with 11 points and seven helpers.
Josh Powell had a solid game off the bench with 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting.
Rudy Gay had 22 points and Zach Randolph posted 21 and 15 rebounds for the
Grizzlies, who dropped to 0-4 on a five-game road trip and are now 1-5 this
season.
O.J. Mayo contributed 15 points and Marc Gasol 10 with seven boards in the
loss.
Iverson had to sit and watch Bryant -- three years his younger -- pass him on
the all-time scoring list, barring injury, probably for good. The embattled
guard continued to come off the bench for Memphis, despite voicing his
displeasure with the role last week, and scored eight points in 21-plus
minutes.
Down a bucket to start the second half, Bryant immediately went to work with
back-to-back layups and Artest buried a three as LA quickly gained the
advantage.
Artest sank a jumper a short time later and Fisher followed with a three-ball.
Memphis hung tough for a while as Mayo hit two free throws to stay within a
basket following a Bryant dunk, but the electric MVP of last year's NBA Finals
slammed again moments later to bring the Staples Center crowd to its feet.
A pair of three-pointers by Artest and one from Powell helped stretch the lead
to 10 and Bryant finished the frame with six of LA's last eight points to lead
87-75 going into the final 12 minutes.
"We played well and I got to the post a lot. We stepped up defensively in the
second half," Bryant said.
Bryant had 15 third-quarter points and scored 10 straight Laker points in the
fourth coming down the stretch to assure the win. Each time, Bryant rose up
and sank his patented turnaround jumper to the delight of the crowd.
"We had a good second half. I liked the start of the fourth quarter and I
liked the third too. Our defense was active (and) Kobe had the killer
instinct. They couldn't stop him," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson.
LA took a 25-22 lead into the second quarter thanks to Jordan Farmar's three-
point play to end the opening stanza.
The Grizzlies bounced back and held a slim lead early in the second until
Artest got to the rim for two and Powell followed with a pair of buckets for a
five-point edge, 37-32. Memphis closed strong, though, with a 13-6 run capped
by Gay's three-pointer to lead 51-49 at the break.
"They are a good rebounding team. Their big players are always in a position
to get rebounds. Great teams are not just one or two players. With two big
guys out (Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum), they found a way to get around those
injuries," said Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins.
Game Notes
The Lakers continue to play without Gasol, the brother of Memphis' Marc. The
All-Star has yet to take the floor this season with a right hamstring injury
but is expected to practice this weekend. Bynum, meanwhile, suffered a minor
strain to his elbow in Wednesday's overtime win against Houston and was held
out only as a precaution...The Grizzlies have lost five straight to the Lakers
and 23 of the 28 matchups as the visitor in this series...Memphis will finish
its trip at Staples Center tomorrow against the Clippers.
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