Kobe, 50 plus again

[mardigan]

Game is still going on, Kobe with 58 with 2 minutes left, wow

[mardigan]

Now he has 60, with 1 and a half minutes left, guy is amazing

[mardigan]

175 points his last 3 games, incredible

[atxrocker]

he's been unstoppable as of late. fucking crazy.

[Chris Childs]

I can hate on Kobe all I want, But that guy is f***ing AMAZING!

I can't believe I said that!

Kobe has super powers.

[JamStone]

Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!

[loveThe23]

dang, Kobe is undescribeable. wow, wow and wow. :clap

[mardigan]

Lakers 121, Grizzlies 119

Associated PressMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Kobe Bryant became the fourth player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in three straight games Thursday night.

Bryant scored 60 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 121-119 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Bryant was 20-for-37 from the field, including 3-for-7 from 3s, and 17 of 18 from the free-throw line.

The last Laker with three consecutive 50-point games was Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor in December 1962. Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain are the only other players with three straight 50-point games.

"It just feels great," Bryant said of joining Baylor, Jordan and Chamberlain. "It's really special and very humbling to be in the same company."

Bryant will try to extend the run when the Lakers face the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night.

Memphis had won seven of the past 10 against the Lakers and had split two earlier meetings this season. But with Bryant scoring from every spot on the floor, the Grizzlies couldn't keep pace.

Memphis took an 85-80 lead, its biggest of the game, late in the third quarter after consecutive 3-pointers by Mike Miller. But the Lakers battled back behind Bryant, who scored nine straight points during a 90-second stretch to put Los Angeles up 95-93. The Lakers never trailed again.

Bryant had 24 points at the half and 43 after three quarters.

Pau Gasol led Memphis with 35 points and 15 rebounds. Miller added 33 points and seven assists.

Lamar Odom was one of only two other Lakers to reach double figures. He finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds.

[ABDENOUR POWER]

Greatest scorer ever?

[mardigan]

I dont know if he is better than MJ, but he is definately in the conversation

[bdictjames]

Best scorer EVER. Kobe has really proved the haters wrong.

[Chris Childs]

If Kobe scores 60 the next game again, I will officially stop hating on him!

[mavsfan1000]

Kobe is officially the best scorer in the league. lol

[T Park]

got jipped for MVP last year.

Unfortunately itll go to that skirt wearing nazi jackass in dallas.

[resistanze]

17-18 from the line, that's cold blooded.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

If Kobe scores 60 the next game again, I will officially stop hating on him!

if he even gets 45 on a b2b i'll be impressed considering how much he played tonight

[Purple & Gold]

I can hate on Kobe all I want, But that guy is f***ing AMAZING!

I can't believe I said that!

Kobe has super powers.

If Kobe scores 60 the next game again, I will officially stop hating on him!
:wow :lol

[Nahtanoj]

if he even gets 45 on a b2b i'll be impressed considering how much he played tonight

Well that 65 vs. Blazers was a back-to-back. I'd be more impressed with another win and if he gets 50+ doing it, fine. :)

[Purple & Gold]

Greatest scorer ever?
I still gotta go with Wilt on that one. He averaged 50 for one year. I know the league wasn't the same, but you can't knock what he did.

Kobe is definitely up there though and he still has many more years left. His legacy is not over yet. :toast

[TheNextGen]

Well that 65 vs. Blazers was a back-to-back. I'd be more impressed with another win and if he gets 50+ doing it, fine. :)

it sure was! Amazing. Maybe be not the best PLAYER ever...but definately the best SCORER ever...which is good enuf for me! :spin

[JamStone]

I'd be more impressed if Kobe doesn't score 50 because he sat out the entire fourth quarter against the Hornets because the Lakers were winning in a blowout.

[Nahtanoj]

it sure was! Amazing. Maybe be not the best PLAYER ever...but definately the best SCORER ever...which is good enuf for me! :spin

I won't say the best, because that's very broad and easy to dispute. I'd say he is the most explosive perimeter scorer ever.

[Nahtanoj]

I'd be more impressed if Kobe doesn't score 50 because he sat out the entire fourth quarter against the Hornets because the Lakers were winning in a blowout.

I agree, the Lakers' team defense has been crappy recently, they just can't get a stop and Kobe has had to carry them on offense. Can't win a Championship this way and Phil/Kobe knows it...

[TheNextGen]

exactly...but what can u do?? They lost 7 straight...and this is working right now.

[Nahtanoj]

Well they lost like 5 straight then 7 straight largely due to injuries, people forget that Luke and Lamar were BALLIN' before they got injured.. now that both guys are back it's only a matter of time, and they will be ready once the Playoffs arrive. Bryant knows that they can't continue to win like that, he didn't win 3 rings not knowing this. (Also possibly a Lakers-Spurs First Round and that could be entertaining, I'm hoping for Lakers-Suns myself but I have my reasons :))

[TonyParkerSux]

Kobe is the best all around player in the league, and it's not even close. With all of these huge scoring games, it's easy to foget that he is all NBA defense as well.

[Nahtanoj]

Best all around player? Perhaps. He could block and steal more... /sarcasm

[dirk4mvp]

got jipped for MVP last year.

Unfortunately itll go to that skirt wearing nazi jackass in dallas.

Is FatBastard bitter?

[mardigan]

Kobe is the best all around player in the league, and it's not even close. With all of these huge scoring games, it's easy to foget that he is all NBA defense as well.
Yea, dont see anyone in the league that is close to him right now, basically able to will his teams to victories, and then your hear the Mav fans saying Dirk is still better, year fucking right

[TonyParkerSux]

Yea, dont see anyone in the league that is close to him right now, basically able to will his teams to victories, and then your hear the Mav fans saying Dirk is still better, year fucking right

I guess I would conceed that Dirk is a little bit more of a matchup problem for most teams and maybe because of that he is more difficult to gaurd... but as an all around player, I think that Kobe is MUCh better. Dirk will get some good stats, but as you said, his ability to take over and dominate games does not even compare to Bryant. I very well may be biased on this one, but I think that Kobe wins that argument based on his killer instinct and defense alone.

[TonyParkerSux]

Best all around player? Perhaps. He could block and steal more... /sarcasm

lol. :stirpot:

[TheNextGen]

Well they lost like 5 straight then 7 straight largely due to injuries, people forget that Luke and Lamar were BALLIN' before they got injured.. now that both guys are back it's only a matter of time, and they will be ready once the Playoffs arrive. Bryant knows that they can't continue to win like that, he didn't win 3 rings not knowing this. (Also possibly a Lakers-Spurs First Round and that could be entertaining, I'm hoping for Lakers-Suns myself but I have my reasons :))


I think in Kobe and Phils mind, they just want to make the playoffs. They are 4 games from being a lottery team...i think Phil is giving the go ahead to play like this.

Also...Kobe scoring 50+ can win against certain teams in the playoffs. Maybe not the suns..but definately the mavs. We've all seen what one hot player can do to the Mavs. :spin

[Medvedenko]

Actually Kobe scored 50+ against the suns last year in the first round. Still, at first everyone was congratulatory towards KB24...now the hate is coming through. As we get older these games will be reveared and talked about and debated ad naseum. This is why people watch, for records to be broken.

[mardigan]

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s79/sethhoward/nba_g_bryant_412.jpg



Just thought you Laker fans would like to see this

[Medvedenko]

That's a great pic...showing 5 Grizzlies and only 1 laker....kind of 1 man show. :)

[ShackO]

Thing is........... Why is it taking him to score that much to beat a team like the grizz????

[mabber]

I guess I would conceed that Dirk is a little bit more of a matchup problem for most teams and maybe because of that he is more difficult to gaurd... but as an all around player, I think that Kobe is MUCh better. Dirk will get some good stats, but as you said, his ability to take over and dominate games does not even compare to Bryant. I very well may be biased on this one, but I think that Kobe wins that argument based on his killer instinct and defense alone.

I agree. Dirk is the #1 toughest matchup in the league but Kobe is a better all-around player (not even that close IMO).

[TonyParkerSux]

I agree. Dirk is the #1 toughest matchup in the league but Kobe is a better all-around player (not even that close IMO).


Dirk's unique cobonation of size with his skill set porivide a definate matchup problem for any team in the league. There just isn't anyone who can match up on both ends of the floor, so teams have to switch on him alot. He is an excellent player, and I will also adit that his defense seems to have improved quite a bit (though nowhere near Kobe's level), but he still has to prove that he can close out big games.

[mabber]

Dirk's unique cobonation of size with his skill set porivide a definate matchup problem for any team in the league. There just isn't anyone who can match up on both ends of the floor, so teams have to switch on him alot. He is an excellent player, and I will also adit that his defense seems to have improved quite a bit (though nowhere near Kobe's level), but he still has to prove that he can close out big games.

Yeah, people forget how good Kobe is on defense.

I believe there was recent poll taken (of GM's/coaches) in regards to who was the #1 matchup problem in the league and Dirk was voted first by a large margin. I'll try to find where I read that. That doesn't translate to being the best player by any means though. It just means he's unique for being a great shooter and being 7ft tall.

[TonyParkerSux]

Yeah, people forget how good Kobe is on defense. I believe there was recent poll taken (of GM's/coaches) in regards to who was the #1 matchup problem in the league and Dirk was voted first by a large margin. I'll try to find where I read that. That doesn't translate to being the best player by any means though. It just means he's unique for being a great shooter and being 7ft tall.

If his shot is on and he is driving to the basket aggressively, Dirk is almost impossible to stop. He shoots over smalls and bigs with that overhead fadeaway, and he can easily just go around most bigs. Even his post game has improved. He's definately a player that a team has to plan around.

Honestly, before the Finals, I always thought that Dirk was supposed to be pretty clutch in tight situations. It seems that since then his "choking" has become a self-fullfilling prophecy.

[mabber]

If his shot is on and he is driving to the basket aggressively, Dirk is almost impossible to stop. He shoots over smalls and bigs with that overhead fadeaway, and he can easily just go around most bigs. Even his post game has improved. He's definately a player that a team has to plan around.

Honestly, before the Finals, I always thought that Dirk was supposed to be pretty clutch in tight situations. It seems that since then his "choking" has become a self-fullfilling prophecy.

He's made a bunch of clutch shots and free throws this year (and last year in the regular season & playoffs) but most of the nation saw him miss that one free throw in the finals. Plus, he had a bad series but I really attribute a lot of that to Haslem as he did a GREAT job on Dirk. My point is...I really don't think Dirk has an issue with choking but he's going to have to prove it in the playoffs this year. It's difficult for 90% free throw shooters as when they only shoot 80% and miss an important free throw then it's considered choking.
Whereas, if you're a Tim Duncan and miss key free throws, you get a pass since you're not a great free throw shooter.

[TonyParkerSux]

He's made a bunch of clutch shots and free throws this year (and last year in the regular season & playoffs) but most of the nation saw him miss that one free throw in the finals. Plus, he had a bad series but I really attribute a lot of that to Haslem as he did a GREAT job on Dirk. My point is...I really don't think Dirk has an issue with choking but he's going to have to prove it in the playoffs this year. It's difficult for 90% free throw shooters as when they only shoot 80% and miss an important free throw then it's considered choking.
Whereas, if you're a Tim Duncan and miss key free throws, you get a pass since you're not a great free throw shooter.

Well it's not the overall game %'s that people are focusing on, it os the free throws missed in late game situations, and the missed shots from the floor. I'm not sure about Dirk, but I know for sure that LeBron's (who seems to have many of the same issues despite his game winning shot against the Wizzards last year) %'s go WAY down in the final few minutes of a game. I would be willing to bet that the same is true of Dirk. As we mentioned in another thread, even MJ23 has been qouted as saying that he missed more game winning shots than he made. I believe we also mentioned the free throw issue. MJ, Kobe, DWade...all considered to be great in the clutch.. all would have made those free throws. I don't mean for this to be a knock on Dirk at all, he is an unbelieveably talented player. It just seems that he still needs to prove it on the biggest stages and at the most important times.

That's true about Duncan though, and equally inexcuseable. I think that it's more difficult to label a player like Duncan, Shaq, or Dwight Howard as clutch though, mainly because their game demands that they play so close to the basket.

[mardigan]

Kobe with 27 at the half

[Nahtanoj]

Kobe with 27 at the half

lol yeah could've been more but Phil seems to want other guys to be involved abit, but Sasha missed like 3 straight open 3s and Farmar missed a setup at the end of the half.

[mardigan]

Kobe, 37 points with 9 minutes left in the 3rd

[TheNextGen]

lol yeah could've been more but Phil seems to want other guys to be involved abit, but Sasha missed like 3 straight open 3s and Farmar missed a setup at the end of the half.

No wonder Kobe shoots alot...the rest keeps bricking

[mardigan]

39 with a quarter and a half left

[Admidave50]

42 pts with 3 min left in the 3rd quarter!

[TheNextGen]

Omg..he finally missed a shot this half! lol

[Nahtanoj]

Phil sits Kobe down with a minute left in the 3rd, with 44 points and an 18 point lead.

[baseline bum]

Fuck man. He's got 44 at the end of the third. How this guy didn't win MVP last year I'll never understand.

[mardigan]

I hope he gets some play next quarter considering the score

Oh wait, nevermind its only a 12 point lead

[Nahtanoj]

Hornets must make a mini comeback, Kobe needs to get his 50. :P

[mardigan]

Hornets must make a mini comeback, Kobe needs to get his 50. :P
They already kind of did, 12 point lead isnt enough to keep Kobe out

[Nahtanoj]

or 60.. 70.. who knows?

[Nahtanoj]

They already kind of did, 12 point lead isnt enough to keep Kobe out

yeah kinda late on clicking 'post'.. watching smush trying to win some attention

[mardigan]

yeah kinda late on clicking 'post'.. watching smush trying to win some attention
Haha, its cool, I just cant believe how easy Kobe makes scoring look

[TheNextGen]

OMG..when kobe doesnt shoot..the Lakeshow falls apart

[Nahtanoj]

lol relax he'll get 50 :P

[mardigan]

46 5 minutes left

[pussyface]

kobe at it again.
hard to rip a guy playing so great, but totally had walton for an easy 2 in transition and didn't even think about passing it to him so he could inflate those numbers.

he just got to 50 though.

[TheNextGen]

Woooooooooooooot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mardigan]

What a monster

[TheNextGen]

Lets trade Matt Bonner for kobe!

[mikejones99]

Go Spurs

[TheNextGen]

Phil Jackson said Kobe is motivated because of the elbows suspension. (and probabaly the dirty player talk). Lets send Kobe some flowers when we play him in the first round. :spin

[mavsfan1000]

Dirk>Kobe :D

[mardigan]

Dirk>Kobe :D
Ok homer

[Lp26]

Kobe is

a- Pissed at the elbow stuff
b- realized his team sucks/can't win at all and has decided to amuse himself in other ways
c-not human

He's just an insane player.

[TDMVPDPOY]

dude only had 1 assist for this game = ball hog

[Nahtanoj]

Question now is, can he extend the streak? He's got Warriors (very likely) next, Grizzlies again, then Houston (tough, but he does have two 50+ against them in his career) and then Kings (likely). If he achieves that, it'll be 8 consecutive, that'll break Wilt's 7.

[mardigan]

Question now is, can he extend the streak? He's got Warriors (very likely) next, Grizzlies again, then Houston (tough, but he does have two 50+ against them in his career) and then Kings (likely). If he achieves that, it'll be 8 consecutive, that'll break Wilt's 7.
I doubt it goes another game, but I guess you never now with Kobe

[Nahtanoj]

dude only had 1 assist for this game = ball hog

You're absolutely spot on, he IS a ballhog.

[mardigan]

I guess you got to be if you want to get the Lakers into the playoffs this year

[schadenfreude52]

I am by no means a Kobe Bryant fan. That said, I cannot help but be impressed by his recent efforts.

[E20]

Kobe Byrant is a fucking monster.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Phil Jackson said Kobe is motivated because of the elbows suspension. (and probabaly the dirty player talk). Lets send Kobe some flowers when we play him in the first round. :spin
yeah, I was watching the recap on ESPN, awesome shots, and then I looked to the side read Phil's quote and thought. Bleh, Kobe will always be remembered how half the people hated him. THAT is where he differs from MJ.


"Remember that suspension two weeks ago?" Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, referring to a one-game suspension Bryant got for hitting Timberwolves guard Marko Jaric. "I think this has motivated him. I don't know if we like to have suspensions all of the time work for us, but there were some things there that motivated him."


There's no doubt Kobe is AMAZING but. this is what I don't get about him. And why I can only appreciate him on a talent level..


"The thing that was frustrating for me was people were talking about, 'He's a dirty player,' which, for me, is pretty insulting," Bryant said. "To have people talking about something else besides that -- it's a much better feeling.":rolleyes

Why does he care so much?? It's the same train of thought, where he texted Chuck 30 times over a one commentator's opinion of being called, "selfish". Talk about emotional immaturity. Just shut up, say "fuck 'em" and play to fucking win. Records come as a result of that desire. He shouldn't be playing to shut up meaningless media drivel. No one would have remembered the suspensions in the long run. He needs a psychiatrist...

That said, I wanna see him go for 5 in a row. :spin

[TheNextGen]

NEW ORLEANS -- Phil Jackson does not believe Kobe Bryant is capable of breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record of 100 points in a game, and he's not the only one thinking that way.

Kobe doesn't think he could do it, either.

"I tend to agreed with him, just because of the rules and the way the game is being played today," Bryant told me after he scored 50 Friday night in a victory over the Hornets. "They scored so many more points back in the day, had more possessions. In this day and age, with the scouting and the zone defense, it's very tough."

Bryant attempted 29 field goals Friday night -- the first time he's been under 30 during his streak of four consecutive 50-point games -- and made 16, and he also went 16-for-16 from the foul line. As a team, the Lakers attempted 86 shots and 21 free throws.

Contrast that to the numbers from Chamberlain's 100-point game, and you begin to see where Bryant's and Jackson's disbelief is coming from. Chamberlain shot 36 of 63 from the field and 28 of 32 from the line in his 100-point game March 2, 1962, and the Philadelphia Warriors attempted 115 shots and 52 free throws in that game. (Their opponent, the New York Knicks, attempted 118 field goals and 41 free throws in that game).

"The game is not played the same way anymore," Jackson said when I asked him about the possibility of a 101-point game. "A couple teams are running up and down, Phoenix and Memphis, but for the most part you'll never get that many possessions in a game."

Bryant is well aware of the historical significance of his accomplishment, and he is happy it's helping a younger generation of both NBA fans and Lakers fans learn something about the greats of the game from years gone by.

Somebody asked Bryant if he had ever met Chamberlain, and he laughed at the absurdity of the question because he remembers meeting him when he was barely out of kindergarten.

"When I was like 6, the only name I knew him by then was Bombaata, from the Conan the Barbarian movie," Bryant said.

Bryant also spoke to a few other items both related and unrelated to his scoring streak:

• He said he still considers Bruce Bowen of the San Antonio Spurs the player who defends him best.

• He said he does not think he merits MVP consideration this season, because that award should be reserved for a player on a team with one of the NBA's best records. "You have to honor that. When we get to that point, then maybe I'll get some consideration."

• He claimed he did not know he had 48 points before hitting a tough jumper over Rasual Butler with 5:12 left. "I went up to [assistant coach] Brian Shaw and said, 'Did I get 50 already?' " One player who did know Bryant was on 48 was Butler. "I didn't like being a part of history that way," Butler told me.

• Bryant acknowledged that his scoring streak was spurred by the national debate over whether he was a dirty player after he was suspended twice for elbowing opponents in the face. "For me, that was insulting. To have people talking about something else is a much better thing."

• You may notice on the highlights of Friday night's game how Bryant high-fived a young boy midway through the third quarter after hitting a sick 3-pointer from the left side with a defender draped all over him. I asked Kobe: Why the high-five? "It was a little kid, and he had said, 'What's up,' and I said, 'What's up' back. And I told him: 'Watch this 3. I've got a 3 for you.' "

[Purple & Gold]

:blah :blah :blah yadda yadda yadda blah blah blah
You do realize that Kobe and MJ are two different people?

Right?...

[mardigan]

Somebody asked Bryant if he had ever met Chamberlain, and he laughed at the absurdity of the question because he remembers meeting him when he was barely out of kindergarten.

"When I was like 6, the only name I knew him by then was Bombaata, from the Conan the Barbarian movie," Bryant said.


• He said he still considers Bruce Bowen of the San Antonio Spurs the player who defends him best.
:lol Awesome! Wilt was great in that movie!

And Kobe still loves Bruce