Kobe Bryant: Five Greatest Regular Season Games (w/ video)

1.  Kobe Bryant vs. the Dallas Mavericks

December 6, 2002

Staples Center

Bryant’s Line: 27 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 21 points on 8/8 shooting from the field in the fourth quarter

The Los Angeles Lakers were coming off their third straight championship in the fall of 2002, but they were not playing like a team that was hunting for their fourth. 20 games into the season, the Lakers were 7-13 and seemingly falling apart at the seams when they faced a 17-1 Dallas Mavericks team that was firing on all cylinders.

The first three quarters were reflective of that disparity in records when the Mavericks, led by Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Nick Van Exel, were routing the Lakers 88-61 going into the last frame. Bryant, at that point, was two for eleven from the field and had five turnovers.

If the Lakers were going to come back from a 27-point deficit, it was going to be a historical achievement. Kobe Bryant loved making history.

Bryant went on a scoring rampage, shooting a perfect eight for eight from the field. His last field goal was an absolute beauty. With 13 seconds left in the game and score tied 103-103, Bryant received the ball at the top of three-point line with Van Exel guarding him. Bryant drives right, spins to the left absolutely washing Van Exel to the side, and drains a 16-foot jumper with eight seconds left to win the game.

The Lakers would outscore the Mavericks 44-15 in the fourth quarter with Bryant contributing 21 points to the cause. Los Angeles pulled off the second largest comeback in NBA history and Bryant added another legendary clutch performance to his sterling résumé.