Bryant Scores Big

In the third quarter of the Lakers 132-102 victory over the Utah Jazz last night, Kobe Bryant scored 30 points on a 9 for 9 shooting from the field and 10 for 10 shooting from the foul line. Bryant's 30 point quarter tied his own franchise record last season in the third quarter of game on December 20th against Dallas where Bryant outscored the Mavericks 62-61 over three periods. The 30 point scoring blitz is tied for the 4th best period in all of NBA history. Only George Gervin (33) and David Thompson (32) on April 9, 1978 while chasing the scoring crown and Wilt Chamberlain (31) the night he scored 100 point have posted better quarters.

Bryant also made 19 out of 26 shots from the floor, including 11 in a row (spanning the second and third quarters), the longest streak of his career in a single game. The only player to sink 11 straight field goal attempts during an NBA game this season was San Antonio's Fabricio Oberto (11 for 11 on Nav. 8th vs. Phoenix).

Bryant's 19 for 26 from the field is the sixth time in his career that he has shot better than 73.1 percent from the field with a minimum of 20 field goals.

Bryant's 52 points was his first 50 plus point game of the season (12th career) and his highest point total since scoring 81 points on January 22, 2006 vs. Toronto (who doesn't remember that?) Last season, Bryant recorded six 50 plus point games, surpassing Elgin Baylor's franchise record of five which he acomplished in both the 1960-61 and 1961-62 seasons.