Sports / Basketball |
Kobe busts loose again for Lakers, scores 50(AP)Updated: 2007-03-19 13:10 Kobe Bryant took over _ again. Bryant became the first Lakers player with consecutive 50-point games in 44 seasons, following a 65-point game with 50 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday in Los Angeles' 109-102 NBA victory. "We talked about going to Kobe early in games and not waiting," coach Phil Jackson said. "He had been playing the team role, feeling the game out and waiting 'til the second half to get going. But there's just not enough time right now in the season to develop that." Bryant became the first Lakers player with consecutive games of 50 or more points since December 1962, when Elgin Baylor did it in three straight games. He scored 14 points in the first 8:12 to help Los Angeles build a 17-point lead. "I'm just being more aggressive at both ends of the floor," Bryant said. "At this point in the season, it's important that I stress the sense of urgency that we have to have, and the type of emotion and energy that you have to play with." Only two other players have recorded back-to-back 50-point games in the last 10 years. Antawn Jamison did it in December 2000 against Seattle and the Lakers (51-51), and Allen Iverson did it in December 2004 against Milwaukee and Utah (54-51). It was Bryant's 17th career 50-point game, including Game 6 of the Lakers' first-round playoff series against Phoenix last May. They lost that game 126-118 in overtime, but Los Angeles is 12-5 when he scores 50 or more. The Lakers' two games before Bryant's spree were a 108-72 loss to Dallas _ the Lakers most lopsided defeat at home since the franchise shifted from Minnesota to Los Angeles _ and a 27-point drubbing at Denver. Last season's NBA scoring champ credits the return of Lamar Odom and Luke Walton from injuries for making these last two games possible. "Luke and Lamar both make my life a lot easier when they're out there because they're so good at recognizing situations on the floor," Bryant said. "They're great passers, so teams can't just front me or overplay me in certain areas. I think we as a team understand that in certain situations, they've got to bring it to me in the post or in the mid-post to allow me to facilitate or attack myself." After shooting 23-for-39 from the field in Friday's overtime victory against Portland, Bryant was 17-for-35 against the Timberwolves in sending them to their 10th straight road loss. Minnesota "held" the All-Star MVP to 40 points on March 6 in a double-overtime victory. "When we played them the last time, Kobe obviously took the scoring load and was aggressive and took the bulk of the shots, but we were able to contain everybody else," Minnesota's Kevin Garnett said. "They were a lot more active on the boards tonight and Kobe got into a flow really fast. We should have trapped him earlier."
|
|