Los Angeles Lakers: 30 greatest individual performances in team history: 3. Kobe Bryant scores 81
It seemed like an error. Everyone knew Kobe Bryant could score, after all, he’s considered one of the best to ever put the ball in the basket. But still, it just didn’t seem correct.
After reaching for the newspaper to check out the stats, fans grabbed another and another, seemingly believing there was a typo. Yet, after realizing that it was actually true, millions of jaws hit the ground.
Kobe Bryant scored 81 points, the second-highest point total in NBA history. With so many fans failing to live through the Wilt Chamberlain 100 point game, this was essentially what it felt like to them.
Even more incredible than the raw numbers, was how efficient Bryant was from the field. He shot over 60% despite taking the second-most shots of his career with 46. He also shot over 50% from distance. With the sort of night he was having, there was no way Bryant was going to leave much of anything at the free throw line as he sank 18 of 20.
Unlike Chamberlain’s 100 point game where it seemed like he was stat-padding, the Lakers needed everything Bryant gave them. During Chamberlain’s historic performance, he didn’t leave the floor despite having a 16 point lead at the end of the first quarter and entered the fourth with a 19 point lead. For Bryant and the Lakers, it was the opposite. The Raptors took a 14 point lead at halftime before the Lakers took a slight four-point edge into the final period. Bryant finally broke the game open, thanks in part to his 55 point second half, the second-highest scoring second half in NBA history.
The comparisons to Michael Jordan were always present but after this performance, whispers of Bryant being a tad better started circulating. He was that good on this night.