No matter what defenses threw at him, there was no stopping Kobe Bryant during a run of scoring that hadn’t been seen in more than 41 years.
Bryant dropped 45 points in the Lakers’ 96-90 win over Indiana, becoming the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1964 to hit that number in four consecutive games.
“The guy’s at the top of his game,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle told the media. “We’re witnessing true greatness. It’s a rare opportunity see a guy perform at this level.”
Los Angeles and Indiana were tied at 85 with two minutes left when Bryant and Lamar Odom decided to take over.