April 1, 2012
33 years, 222 days
After missing his first 15 shots in his previous game, Kobe Bryant made sure to come out firing against Golden State.
He provided 13 points in the first quarter alone and finished with 40 to power the Lakers’ 120-112 victory.
“Once we started the game and he knocked down his first three or four shots, I knew it was going to be another aggressive night for him,” Pau Gasol told reporters.
While Bryant shot 16-of-28 from the field, Los Angeles’ entire offense was clicking. Gasol added 26 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, while Ramon Sessions did his part with 23 points and nine assists.
As a team, the Lakers shot 53.7 percent and outrebounded the Warriors, 50-29.
The Lakers pulled away ahead by 13 after a 32-22 third quarter that saw Bryant pour in another dozen points, but the game wasn’t over yet.
The Warriors eventually trimmed L.A.’s lead to 97-96, but the Lakers responded with nine unanswered points, capped by a jumper from Bryant.
Behind David Lee (27 points, six rebounds, seven assists), Golden State made one more push to cut its deficit to 112-109, but Bryant answered with a 3-pointer in front of the visitors’ bench.
Kobe performances on this day in history: