March 16th, 2007 vs Trail Blazers
Just the year before Kobe dropped 81 points against the Toronto Raptors (we’ll talk about that game soon). High scoring games for Kobe is nothing new, as he’s one of the best scorers of all-time. This game versus the Portland Trail Blazers showed just that. Not only did Kobe score, but he filled up the stat sheet on this night.
Heading into their final game of the season, the Lakers were finishing a mediocre season at best, in which they finished the year 42-40 (8th seed in the West).
This game showed all of Kobe’s offensive repertoire. Whether it was shooting the three, driving the lane, or hitting mid-range contested jumpers, everything was clicking. It showed just how versatile a scorer he really was.
He finished the night with 65 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals. More impressive, was his shooting percentage, managing to shoot 23-of-39 from the floor, including 8-of-12 from down town. To cap it off, Kobe drilled a game-tying shot with a little less than 5 minutes remaining, which led to an 116-111, Lakers victory.