Kobe Bryant’s best game against the Minnesota Timberwolves – 50 points in 2007
This game was the second in his streak of four straight games in 2007 with 50 or more points. The second game in a row with 50 points has to be one of the hardest because so much defensive attention was probably focused on him after dropping 65 in the game before.
His performance during that streak, with this game included, felt more impactful to his legacy than any of his games against the Wolves in the Western Conference Finals in 2004. Kobe was putting his team on his back and blew out the Timberwolves almost by himself against a Wolves team that included Kevin Garnett.
Kobe became the first Lakers player since Elgin Baylor to have back-to-back games with 50 points or more, proving how spectacular a feat it was. Kobe was quoted after the game reflecting on the bigger picture of trying to make it the playoffs saying,
“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.”
He was hardly even impressed with his back-to-back 50 point games, something only two players had done in the decade before him. The quote shows that through all of the huge numbers he put up, winning was the only thing important to him.