Kobe Bryant scored 32 points on Tuesday to help the Los Angeles Lakers to a 98-95 victory over the Sacramento Kings and keep closing in on Michael Jordan for third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Bryant scored 21 points in the second half, including a breakaway dunk and a three-pointer that tied the score at 92-92 with less than four minutes to play.
Jordan Hill’s layup put Los Angeles up 94-93 with 1 minute, 39 seconds remaining. The Kings regained the lead with a basket from Darren Collison, but Bryant drained two free-throws to give the Lakers a 96-95 lead.
Bryant wrapped up the scoring with two free-throws and Sacramento’s Nik Stauskas bounced a three-point attempt off the rim to end the Kings’ challenge.
Although the Lakers are enduring a tough season, Bryant came into the game averaging an league-leading 25.2 points per game, even though he is shooting a career-worst 38.9 percent from the field.
“I’m sometimes just shaking my head on how he can continue to go out there and deliver,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said of the 36-year-old workhorse.
Bryant now needs 31 points to pass Jordan’s 32,292 career points for third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 38,387 and Karl Malone with 36,928 have scored more in their careers.
Elsewhere in the NBA, Memphis withstood 18 three-pointers by Dallas to beat the Mavericks 114-105 on Tuesday, with Marc Gasol’s 30 points helping the Grizzlies to a victory that moved them back to the top of the NBA’s Southwest Division.
Gasol was 9 of 14 from the field and 12 of 13 from the line, while Mike Conley added 22 points.
Chandler Parsons led the Mavericks with 30 points, going 10 of 18 from the field and 6 of 10 from three-point range.
Elsewhere, LeBron James led Cleveland to an eighth straight win. The Cavaliers came from behind to beat Toronto 105-101, with James scoring 35, including a tie-breaking three-pointer with 48 seconds remaining.
James’ jumper from the top of the key gave Cleveland a 102-99 lead and tied him with Mark Price for the franchise record for three-pointers at 802.
Dion Waiters scored 18 for Cleveland, who trailed by 10 points early in the fourth. Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross each scored 18 for Toronto, who shot 14 of 21 in the first quarter, but were overrun.
Meanwhile, Miami ended a four-game skid by beating Phoenix, in a game that saw Chris Bosh score 10 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, including seven straight at one point, to guide the Heat to a 103-97 win.
Utah ended a nine-game losing slump by defeating San Antonio 100-96, with Derrick Favors scoring 21 points and Gordon Hayward adding 20.
In other NBA games, Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge had 23 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Trail Blazers over Detroit 98-86, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant also scored 23 to help the Thunder defeat Milwaukee 114-101 and New York fell 104-93 to New Orleans.
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