Dec. 10, 2006
28 years, 109 days
After missing the previous game with a sprained ankle, Kobe Bryant was back at 100 percent, dropping 34 points in a 106-99 win over San Antonio.
Bryant shot 13-of-25 from the field, including 4-of-5 on 3-pointers. He also collected eight rebounds and three steals.
The Lakers overtook the Spurs with a 37-22 third quarter in which they went on a 12-0 run, received 12 points from Bryant and forced nine San Antonio turnovers.
“For us to stifle them in the third quarter, that should give us a lot of confidence,” Bryant told the media. “Defensively, we really swarmed them. We played with a lot of poise. You have to have that against a team like San Antonio.”
The Spurs received solid performances from each member of their core three: Manu Ginobili (23 points), Tony Parker (21 points, nine rebounds) and Tim Duncan (16 points, 13 rebounds).
But all five Lakers starters scored in double figures, including Lamar Odom, who narrowly missed a triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.
The Spurs shot 51.4 percent and hit four more 3’s than L.A., but the Lakers pulled through thanks largely to a 14-5 advantage on the offensive glass.
Kobe performances on this day in history: