The Last Word on Sports offseason series “NBA Rewind” takes a look back at some of the most memorable performances in NBA history.
On January 22, 2006, Kobe Bryant put on a show for the ages while almost single-handedly leading his Los Angeles Lakers to a miraculous regular season comeback victory over the Toronto Raptors, scoring an unimaginable 81 points in less than 42 minutes of playing time.
Arguably the greatest individual scoring performance in NBA history, Bryant’s remarkable stat line from that night has not even come close to being matched in the eight years that have since passed, with his own scoring total of 65 points against the Portland Trailblazers in March of 2007 coming closest.
Kobe’s 81 points in a single game is second only to Wilt Chamberlain’s storied 100-point game, which preceded Bryant’s performance by 44 years.
Revisiting Kobe Bryant’s 81 Point Game
First Half
From the get-go, it was painfully obvious that the Lakers didn’t come to play. The first half was brutal for the team, as they were by seven points in each of the first two quarters, leading to a halftime score of 63-49 in favor of the Raptors. Kobe Bryant, however, had very quietly put together a nice two quarters, compiling 26 total points (14 in the first quarter, 12 in the second quarter) while shooting 10 of 18 from the field.
Nonetheless, the Lakers entered the second half down 14 points to a mediocre Raptors squad that would eventually finish the 2005-06 season with a record of 27-55.
Second Half
The onslaught continued in the third quarter, and before long, the Lakers had found their way into an 18-point hole, trailing 71-53. Then the unexpected happened: Bryant, in a very literal sense, put his team on his back and went off.
Seemingly unable to miss a shot suddenly, Kobe began cutting into the Raptors’ lead, one possession at a time. By the time the third quarter came to an end, the Lakers (Or maybe just Kobe Bryant) had outscored the Raptors 42-22, taken a 91-85 lead, and set NBA world was abuzz about the unfathomable comeback the they were about to pull off.
Bryant finished 11 of 15 from the field (four of five from three-point range) in the sensational quarter, adding 27 to his rapidly growing point total.
With a six-point lead to open the final quarter of play, Kobe did not let up, and continued to make it rain from wherever he decided throw the ball up. As he reached the 70-point mark, the game was no longer about whether or not the Lakers could complete a thrilling comeback victory. The sole focus was on exactly how many points an unstoppable Kobe Bryant could would score.
When it became apparent that there was absolutely nothing they could possibly do defensively to even slow him down, the Raptors changed their game plan. Instead of pointlessly trying to stop the still-on-fire Bryant, they employed their version of a “hack-a-Kobe”, simply sending him to the free throw line every chance they got, where he scored most of his final points.
Bryant left the game with 4.2 seconds left on the clock, and the Lakers, after trailing by 18 at one point, ended up winning the game by 18 points, 122-104.
In the fourth quarter, Kobe had scored 28 points, hitting 7 of 13 field goals, including 2 of 6 from beyond the arc, and made 12 of his 13 free-throw attempts. For the second half overall, he had registered a mind-blowing 55 points.
Recap
In perhaps the best single game performance in NBA history, a 27-year-old Kobe Bryant put on a performance that will never be forgotten, scoring an astounding 81 points while shooting 28 of 46 from the field (7 of 13 three pointers), and knocking down 18 of 20 free-throw attempts. The stat line is one that is unlikely to ever again be surpassed in an NBA game, and Bryant definitely solidified his place among the all-time greats in compiling it.
Phil Jackson summed is up best following the game:
“That was something to behold, it was another level. I’ve seen some remarkable games, but I’ve never seen one like that before.”
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