Bryant ends high-scoring month leading Lakers past Knicks

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Kobe Bryant scored 40 points to cap
one of the highest scoring months in NBA history by guiding the
Los Angeles Lakers to a 130-97 thrashing of the New York Knicks
at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

Bryant shot 7-for-17 from the floor and went to the free
throw line 26 times, making 23 of those attempts, to wind up
averaging 43.4 points per game for the month of January.

It was the second time Bryant had averaged more than 40
points in one month — February 2003 was the other — as the
Lakers wound up taking 58 free throws and New York had their
coach Larry Brown ejected.

Wilt Chamberlain is the only other player to have averaged
40 points in a month more than once and he did it five times in
his career. Elgin Baylor also averaged 40 points in a month,
but only once.

Bryant’s month was highlighted by a spectacular 81-point
performance against the Toronto Raptors, the second highest
scoring game in NBA history behind Chamberlain’s 100-point
effort in 1962.

With the Lakers well ahead, Bryant left the game with five
and a half minutes remaining to rapturous applause from the New
York fans.

“It feels good,” Bryant told reporters after the game.

“It let’s me know that they appreciate what I do out there
on the floor.”

The Lakers made 43 of their free throws and that was the
difference in the game, as the Knicks went to the line just 24
times, scoring 20 points.

Brown was ejected for arguing with referee Steve Javie
after getting a technical foul in the third quarter following a
slew of New York fouls.

Andrew Bynum added 16 points for the Lakers, while Smush
Parker scored 15. Lamar Odom chipped in with 11 points and 13
rebounds.

Qyntel Woods scored 15 points and had nine rebounds to lead
the Knicks, while Quentin Richardson added 14 points.

In East Rutherford, Jason Kidd had 23 points and 12
rebounds as the New Jersey Nets overcame the Pistons 91-84,
ending Detroit’s 11-game winning streak.

The Nets snapped a four-game losing streak, with all of the
losses coming on the road, to record their ninth straight home
win while holding to Pistons to just 37 percent shooting from
the floor.

Nenad Krstic and Richard Jefferson both had 19 points for
the Nets, while Vince Carter added 17 points and had eight
rebounds.

Chauncey Billups led the Pistons with 30 points and Richard
Hamilton had 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

In Washington, Antawn Jamison had 19 points and 18 rebounds
as the Wizards beat the Indiana Pacers 84-79.

(Writing by Roger Lajoie in Toronto)