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Monday, Jan. 10 10:30pm ET
Bryant hits first 8 shots to start L.A. off | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- With Michael Jordan watching from a luxury suite, Kobe Bryant did a fine "M.J." impersonation. Hitting his first eight shots, several of them spectacular, Bryant scored 17 first-quarter points to put the Los Angeles Lakers in control Monday night on their way to a 130-95 rout of Denver and their 15th straight victory.
Asked if he knew Jordan was in the building, Bryant smiled and said, "Yep." Queried whether Jordan's presence made him raise his game a notch, Bryant smiled again and said, "Nope." "It just so happens that I have good games when he's here," said Bryant, who finished with 30 points. "He should show up more often." Jordan, the retired Bulls superstar, has attended several Lakers games this season, with his former Chicago coach, Phil Jackson, now guiding Los Angeles. Shaquille O'Neal had 31 points, 19 rebounds, nine assists and five blocks for the Lakers, who were up 43-18 after the first quarter and went on to lead by as many as 34 points. The victory avenged one of the Lakers' five losses this season -- a 93-82 defeat at Denver on Nov. 18, when Bryant was sidelined by a broken hand. "They have been playing good, man," said Denver's Nick Van Exel, who had 17 points in the rematch against his former Los Angeles teammates. "We expected them to come out a little dangerous because we beat them in Denver, and teams remember things like that. But we didn't know it was going to be this bad." The Lakers' 30-5 record is the NBA's best -- and they are on their longest winning streak since 1990-91, when they won 16 straight. Bryant, who finished 12-of-18 from the floor, had 27 points in the first half for the Lakers, who cruised after building the big first-quarter lead. The margin of victory was their biggest of the season, and the loss was Denver's worst. Bryant not only was 7-for-7 from the floor in the first quarter, his baskets included spinning 180 degrees for a backward slam, sinking a 12-foot fallaway jumper when his body seemed almost parallel to the floor, and hitting a 3-pointer with a defender all over him. He finally missed for the first time midway through the second quarter, when he was off on a follow of Travis Knight's miss. Bryant still scored 10 points in the second quarter, including a 34-footer that just beat the shot clock, with five seconds remaining before halftime. "He's special," Van Exel said. "I played with him for a couple of years, and all along I said he was going to be someone who everybody's going to want to be like one day." Antonio McDyess led the Nuggets with 23 points and Ron Mercer had 18. Los Angeles led 72-47 at halftime and 107-76 after three. After playing four games in a five-day stretch that ended Saturday night with a come-from-behind win in Seattle, the Lakers looked well-rested against the Nuggets. The blowout came after Los Angeles was pressed to keep the win streak going, rallying from a 19-point deficit to beat Seattle 110-100 after coming from 13 points down to beat Charlotte 87-83 at home a night earlier. Since their loss at Denver on Nov. 18, the Lakers have won 23 of 25. Denver is 14-11 since, counting the loss in the rematch.
Game notes | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Denver Clubhouse LA Lakers Clubhouse RECAPS Vancouver 112 Boston 103
LA Lakers 130
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