DENVER, Feb. 12 (Ticker) -- The Denver Nuggets hoped they had seen enough of Kobe Bryant on Tuesday. Bryant nearly blinded them with his performance one day later.

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Bryant set a Pepsi Center record by scoring an NBA season-high 51 points in just three quarters as the Los Angeles Lakers extended their season-high winning streak to seven games with an easy 113-102 victory the Nuggets.

Bryant became the first player to reach the 50-point plateau since Orlando's Tracy McGrady accomplished the feat against Washington last March 8.

"I don't really know what's going on out there," Bryant said. "I'm playing in such a good rhythm right now. I try to get physically prepared for each game."

On Tuesday, Bryant - who has scored at least 35 points in every contest during the winning streak - registered 42 as the Lakers manhandled the Nuggets in Los Angeles, 121-93.

"Let's the give the Lakers their due," Denver coach Jeff Bzdelik said. "Kobe has lit up a lot of teams this season."

This time, Bryant, who was hit in the jaw by Denver's Donnell Harvey in the opening minute, scored the game's first seven points and had 11 in less than four minutes as the Lakers built a 15-3 lead. He had 20 after one quarter - five more than the Nuggets - and 36 at the half as the Lakers opened a 70-38 advantage.

"I got a lot of motivation after I got hit in the jaw," Bryant said. "It made me realize that the physical play of this game is going to be much more intense than the night before because they didn't want me to come out and have that type of showing again. That made me really sharpen up mentally and pick up my aggressiveness."

Los Angeles held just a 36-33 lead before closing the half on a 34-5 surge over the final seven minutes. The Lakers shot 73 percent (16-of-22) in the second quarter.

Bryant finished his offensive barrage with a pair of free throws with 3:14 left in the third quarter that gave the Lakers a 94-65 lead.

"He goes about his business," said Nuggets rookie Vincent Yarbrough, who began the game guarding Bryant. "He does not talk out there. We tried different things on him tonight, but he was so hot that it was hard to contain him."

Bryant made 15-of-28 shots and 18-of-20 free throws in 32 minutes, exiting with just over a minute to go in the third period.

"I told him the hook was out with the way he was shooting the ball every time in the third quarter," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "He got tired and his shot was short. It was a terrific performance in the second quarter."

On January 14, 2002, Bryant scored a career-high 56 points in three quarters against Memphis.

Shaquille O'Neal added 18 points and 10 rebounds and Rick Fox scored 13 points for the Lakers, who held their biggest lead after three quarters, 102-69, before resting their starters for most of the final 12 minutes. Los Angeles held a 100-66 lead after three quarters on Tuesday.

"We are having trouble putting the ball in the hole," Bzdelik said. "We had 47 shots in the first half (four more than the Lakers), so we had our opportunities. I told them at halftime it is time to grow up and come out and play hard. I told them to quit making excuses and come out and give it our all."

"The game was finished by halftime as far as the players were concerned," Jackson said. "We gave Denver 64 points in the second half and made me upset with them. We're happy with the win and pleased with the way Kobe Bryant played but we're still not pleased with the way we performed out there in the second half."

Juwan Howard scored 22 points and rookie Nikoloz Tskitishvili added a season-high 17 Denver, which lost for the ninth time in 11 games.

"We are in the zone as a team right now," O'Neal said. "We are having fun out there. We just need to get ready for this next game coming up (vs. San Antonio on Friday)."