Gilbert Arenas Career-High 60pts vs Kobe Bryant LA Lakers

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17, 2006 (AP) -- Gilbert Arenas set a franchise record with 60 points, 16 of them in overtime, to lead the Washington Wizards to a 147-141 victory over Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night.

In a Kobe-like performance, Arenas outscored the Lakers' Bryant by 15 points and became only the second player in history to score as many as 60 against the Lakers.

Wilt Chamberlain, who later played for the Lakers, scored 60 points against them multiple times, the last a 65-point game in 1966.

Arenas went 17-of-32 from the floor, including 5-of-12 from 3-point range. He made 21 of his 27 free throws and also had eight assists and eight rebounds.

He scored 14 points in a row for Washington, including a pair of 3-pointers, in one stretch of the 5-minute overtime.

The previous franchise high was 56 by Earl Monroe on Feb. 13, 1968, against the Lakers in overtime, when the Wizards were the Baltimore Bullets.

"It was bound to happen,'' Arenas said. "I'm a scorer, so I was going to have one of those days where I was clicking. Most of the time when I've scored 46 in three quarters, we were blowing the other team out, so I didn't get to play in the fourth.

"But tonight was that time. It was a close game and I stayed in. I found the rhythm, especially in the fourth quarter and in overtime, and I never looked back.''

Arenas' previous high was 47 points, against Miami last Dec. 30.

Bryant, coming off a 53-point performance his previous game, scored 45 points on 15-of-24 shooting, but had just four points in overtime. He made 7-of-11 from beyond the arc, part of a franchise record 44 shots from 3-point range for the Lakers. They made 19, including 5-of-9 by Vladimir Radmanovic.

Antawn Jamison had 25 points and 13 rebounds for Washington, and Caron Butler scored 27. Radmanovic, starting in place of the injured Lamar Odom, had 27 points, and Luke Walton had 15 points and a career-high 11 assists.

Washington led by as many as 17 early in the fourth quarter, but the Lakers came back to catch them at 126-all and send the game into overtime.

The victory was the Wizards' fourth in five games against the Lakers, but only their second in the last 14 meetings in Los Angeles. Washington also won for just the third time overall in 11 road games this season, and the Lakers lost at home for only the fourth time in 17 games.

Arenas had 12 points in the third quarter, including a 3 with 31 seconds left to put Washington ahead 90-80 to start the fourth period.

Down by 12 at halftime, Los Angeles closed to 85-80 on Andrew Bynum's dunk and free throw with 1:31 remaining in the third, but the Lakers didn't score again before the quarter ended.

Washington was up 59-49 at halftime, with Jamison scoring 17 points and pulling down eight rebounds. Arenas also had 17 first-half points.

Bryant, who took only one shot in the first quarter and whose only points came on a pair of free throws, hit 5-of-8 from the floor in the second and scored 16 points, including all three of his 3-point shots.

Arenas scored 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the first quarter, Jamison had 10 points, and DeShawn Stevenson added four for all the Wizards' points in their 26-20 lead.

Radmanovic had 10 points to help Los Angeles stay close. The Lakers made just 8-of-22 from the field, while the Wizards went 12-of-11.

Notes: Bryant had scored his season-high 53 points as Los Angeles came from 21 points down to beat Houston in double overtime on Friday. ... The Wizards' 11-point victory over Miami on Friday had put them at .500 for the first time since they won three of their first six this season. ... Washington was without C Etan Thomas, not on the trip because of a sprained left ankle. Los Angeles F Odom is out for at least a month with a sprained right knee.

Category:

Sports

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• 60
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• Kobe
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• Wizards
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• OT

[igquick]

I think it is paper planes by this london chick..I forgot her name. Anyways does anybody agree that wizards this year will be their come back?

[11EDmanLV]

It's MIA - Paper Planes

[wtfisjuiceiwantgrape]

the beat in the very beginning, what song is that from?

[11EDmanLV]

It's MIA - Paper Planes

[subhanrukh]

This was the best game i've ever seen him and kobe were going toe to toe.

[NYCGERSON777]

if i remember correctly, back in the 92-93 season the bulls and the bullets had one of those back to back regular season games and some guy scored 37pts at chicago; Jordan was upset over that and took it personal. the very next night jordan went on to score 47 points in like 30 minutes of playing time. He sat out the final 5 minutes of the 3rd quarter and did not play in the 4th. BTW, THE BULLS WON BOTH GAMES!!!!

[NYCGERSON777]

so many things are always mentioned when talking about jordan and kobe. people r always talking about what kobe did that jordan didn't. How about things that people did on kobe that no one ever did on jordan? Did any player went to the chicago stadium or to the united center and dropped 60 points on the bulls?NOPE.

[syrymflash]

@RealDeal336 those 60 were versus Lakers , 81 were vs raptors.

[RealDeal336]

60 pts isnt 81 pts

[18kaipanw]

@igquick gun back :p

[wtfisjuiceiwantgrape]

thanks igquick