Nov. 16, 2005 27 years, 85 days
In a coaching matchup between legends Phil Jackson and Larry Brown, the former leaned heavily on Kobe Bryant to lead the Lakers to a 97-92 victory over New York.
Jackson and Brown had previously gone head-to-head in the 2001 and 2004 NBA Finals, with each taking one title.
Bryant, who played in both series, let 36 shots fly on the night, making 15. He also went 12-of-14 at the foul line to finish with 42 points at Staples Center.
“I went after it a little bit more aggressively and the team did a good job looking for me,” Bryant told reporters after the game. “I felt we had to get something going in the third quarter.”
Indeed, the Lakers got rolling in the third behind Bryant, who shot 6-of-8 in the period for 18 points. He also hit double digits in the first (13) and fourth (11).
The Lakers, who had no other player top 14 points, needed every bit of Bryant, as he sat out just four minutes in order to break L.A.’s three-game losing streak.
Kobe performances on this day in history: