Kobe Bryant was so dominant through three quarters that he didn’t need to play the fourth, dropping 42 points in only 31 minutes.
“He’s my choice for the MVP right now,” Shaquille O’Neal told reporters after the Lakers’ 121-93 win over Denver. “He’s playing at a very high level, shooting the ball well and everybody’s following his league.”
Bryant scored 13 in the first quarter to push Los Angeles to a 10-point lead heading into the second frame.
After a back-and-forth end to the first half, the Lakers poured it on by doubling Denver’s 21 third-quarter points.
Bryant scored 19 in that third period and keyed a 13-2 run by the purple and gold by providing 11 during that stretch.
He shot 12-of-20 from the field and 17-of-21 at the foul line, while recording four steals and only one turnover.
O’Neal added 20 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, but Bryant was the clear focal point in L.A.’s six-game winning streak, in which he scored 35-plus in each contest.
Kobe performances on this day in history:
