Kobe Explodes For 41, Lakers Beat Hawks 118-110

At any given time, you know that Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant can explode offensively at any given time. It doesn’t matter who the opponent that LA is playing. The Atlanta Hawks found this out first-hand as Bryant made the Staples Center his personal playground; Bryant scored 41 points as Los Angeles held off a late Atlanta rally, escaping with a 118-110 win.

The first quarter was nip-and-tuck as neither team could gain a clear-cut advantage; Los Angeles would take a 27-25 lead going into the second quarter. They would gradually pad their lead as Ron Artest drained a three-pointer with 40 seconds left, allowing the Lakers to take a 62-56 lead; a Bryant layup gave Los Angeles a 64-56 lead. Atlanta narrowed the gap to 64-58 on a pair of free throws, which they would take into their locker room at halftime.

The Lakers exploded during the third quarter as Bryant scored 14 points; the offensive explosion allowed Los Angeles to go up by 22 going into the final period. The Hawks would make it interesting in the final fifteen minutes as Jeff Teague and Jamal Crawford led the way; however, a pair of free throws by Bryant at the 3:45 mark of the fourth period sealed the deal for Los Angeles.

As previously mentioned, Bryant led Los Angeles with a game-high 41 points, along with 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals while Andrew Bynum added 21 with 3 rebounds, an assist and 2 blocks; Lamar Odom notched a double-double, scoring 11 with 14 rebounds, 8 assists and a steal.

Joe Johnson led Atlanta with 27 points (including three 3-pointers), 9 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal while Crawford added 17 with 3 rebounds and an assist; Mike Bibby chipped in 15 (including 3 treys) with 2 rebounds, an assist and 2 steals. Los Angeles (2-1) plays again on Tuesday when they visit Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder while Atlanta (2-1) jets to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers – also on Tuesday night.