New-look Lakers and Mavericks, same old Kobe.
Kobe Bryant took charge late in the game, scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter and eight in overtime to finish with 52 Sunday in Los Angeles' 108-...
New-look Lakers and Mavericks, same old Kobe.
Kobe Bryant took charge late in the game, scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter and eight in overtime to finish with 52 Sunday in Los Angeles' 108-104 victory over Dallas.
Mavericks coach Avery Johnson tried a variety of ways to stop him. Nothing worked.
"We gave him a single look, then we double-teamed him, then we gave him a triple-team and he split the triple-team and scored,'' Johnson said. "We tried to zone him, we tried to funnel him in the trap for a zone and he went the other way. He didn't cooperate on any of our defenses.
"Obviously he milked the free throw line on us and he just had it all going. He's a great player. He has these (games). Lots of these.''
Bryant hit the 50-point mark for the 22nd time in his career and first time this season. He went 15-of-27 from the floor and, constantly driving and drawing fouls, was 20-of-27 from the line. He was perfect shooting free throws in the fourth quarter, making 13, and converted the two he took in overtime.
That after he missed five of eight from the line in the first half.
"I was really upset with myself at halftime,'' he said, adding that he told himself to "just relax and go knock them down.''
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