March 17, 2004
25 years, 207 days
The Lakers let a 15-point halftime lead nearly slip away, but Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal nonetheless kept their team from falling to their Staples Center neighbors.
Bryant racked up 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while O’Neal provided 21 points and 11 rebounds in the Lakers’ 106-103 victory over the Clippers.
The Lakers shot 54.9 percent on the night, and Bryant scored six points in the fourth quarter’s first two minutes to put them on the path to a cruising win.
However, despite leading by 10 with three minutes left, the Lakers allowed a 9-1 run to end the game, as Kenyon Dooling’s buzzer-beating, game-tying 3-pointer was off the mark.
The Clippers put up a fight behind 20-plus efforts from Elton Brand (26 points), Corey Maggette (25) and Quentin Richardson (21). However, they were unable to overcome a paltry 2-of-13 mark on 3-pointers.
Kobe performances on this day in history: