Bryant scores 60
Kobe Bryant became the fourth player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in three straight games Thursday night in Memphis, Tenn.
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.”
It was the fourth 60-point game of Bryant’s career, tying him with Jordan for the second-most 60-point games in a career. Chamberlain holds the record with 13. Jordan was the last NBA player to score at least 50 points in three straight games, accomplishing the feat during the 1986-87 season.
Bryant will try to extend the run when the Lakers face the New Orleans Hornets tonight. Bryant scored 65 points against Portland on March 16 and 50 against Minnesota last Sunday.
Trail Blazers 92, Knicks 86: At New York, Brandon Roy scored 24 points, Jamaal Magloire had his best game of the season, and Portland beat New York.
Jarrett Jack added 15 points for the Trail Blazers, who were without leading scorer and rebounder Zach Randolph for the second straight game while he is on bereavement leave. But it didn’t matter because Magloire came up with 14 points, tying a season high, and a season-best 16 rebounds while thoroughly outplaying Knicks center Eddy Curry.
Bulls 109, Nuggets 108: At Chicago, rookie Tyrus Thomas scored on a tip-in with two-tenths of a second left after Ben Gordon’s missed jumper, giving Chicago a victory over Denver.
Allen Iverson’s drive along the right side gave the Nuggets a 108-107 lead with 13.1 seconds left, but the Nuggets saw their five-game win streak end in a wild finish.
Suns 118, Kings 100: At Phoenix, Amare Stoudemire bounced back from one of his worst games of the season to score 33 points and grab 21 rebounds and lead Phoenix to a victory over a Sacramento team playing without Ron Artest, who was in court pleading not guilty to misdemeanor charges stemming from a domestic dispute earlier this month.
Steve Nash had 17 points and 16 assists to help Phoenix hand the Kings their eighth loss in nine games.
Mike Bibby scored 28 and Kevin Martin 19 for Sacramento.
Rockets 91, Pistons 85: At Houston, Yao Ming scored 27 points, grabbed seven rebounds and made a key block in the final minute as Houston hung on for a victory over Detroit.
Tracy McGrady added 20 points and eight assists and Rafer Alston went 3 for 5 from 3-point range and scored 16 for the Rockets, who’ve won five in a row and eight of their past nine games.
Antonio McDyess scored 16 and Chauncey Billups added 13 points and six assists for Detroit, which had its six-game road winning streak snapped. Billups was back in the lineup after missing two games with a strained groin.