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closeKobe Bryant was 19-of-30 shooting for his second consecutive 41-point game and third in four contests amidst yet another record-setting night, as the Lakers pounded Memphis 114-98.
Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 24,000 points, passed veteran guard Allen Iverson -- now with the Grizzlies -- for 16th place on the all-time scoring list and notched his 99th career game with 40-plus points.
"It's a great honor, I think back to all the years I've played here. I learned a lot from the guys before me," said Bryant, who was quicker to 24,000 points by 38 days over the great Wilt Chamberlain.
There were others on the court for Los Angeles, which won its fourth in a row to move to 5-1 on the season. Ron Artest added 19 points, seven assists and six rebounds and Derek Fisher checked in with 11 points and seven helpers.
Josh Powell had a solid game off the bench with 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting.
Rudy Gay had 22 points and Zach Randolph posted 21 and 15 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who dropped to 0-4 on a five-game road trip and are now 1-5 this season.
O.J. Mayo contributed 15 points and Marc Gasol 10 with seven boards in the loss.
Iverson had to sit and watch Bryant -- three years his younger -- pass him on the all-time scoring list, barring injury, probably for good. The embattled guard continued to come off the bench for Memphis, despite voicing his displeasure with the role last week, and scored eight points in 21-plus minutes.
Down a bucket to start the second half, Bryant immediately went to work with back-to-back layups and Artest buried a three as LA quickly gained the advantage.
Artest sank a jumper a short time later and Fisher followed with a three-ball. Memphis hung tough for a while as Mayo hit two free throws to stay within a basket following a Bryant dunk, but the electric MVP of last year's NBA Finals slammed again moments later to bring the Staples Center crowd to its feet.
A pair of three-pointers by Artest and one from Powell helped stretch the lead to 10 and Bryant finished the frame with six of LA's last eight points to lead 87-75 going into the final 12 minutes.
"We played well and I got to the post a lot. We stepped up defensively in the second half," Bryant said.
Bryant had 15 third-quarter points and scored 10 straight Laker points in the fourth coming down the stretch to assure the win. Each time, Bryant rose up and sank his patented turnaround jumper to the delight of the crowd.
"We had a good second half. I liked the start of the fourth quarter and I liked the third too. Our defense was active (and) Kobe had the killer instinct. They couldn't stop him," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson.
LA took a 25-22 lead into the second quarter thanks to Jordan Farmar's three- point play to end the opening stanza.
The Grizzlies bounced back and held a slim lead early in the second until Artest got to the rim for two and Powell followed with a pair of buckets for a five-point edge, 37-32. Memphis closed strong, though, with a 13-6 run capped by Gay's three-pointer to lead 51-49 at the break.
"They are a good rebounding team. Their big players are always in a position to get rebounds. Great teams are not just one or two players. With two big guys out (Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum), they found a way to get around those injuries," said Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins.
Game Notes
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