Kobe Bryant scored 100 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 147-98 blow-out win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bryant had 40 points by halftime, so the Lakers drew up a new game plan: pass the ball to Bryant every time. The plan worked to pure perfection as Bryant went on a 60-point outburst in the second half. By contrast, Shaquille O'Neal only scored 15 points, and none of the other Lakers were in double-digits.
LeBron James, Bryant's counterpart, led Cleveland with 46 points, but there was no way the Cavs could defend the Lakers guard. "We could triple-team or even quadruple-team Kobe, and he'd still shoot the lights out," James said. "But he is an inspiration to me. I want to become the third man to pull it off."
Wilt Chamberlain had been the only man to have ever scored 100 points in a single game, when he did it for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks in 1962. Michael Jordan never scored 100 in a game, and he actually regrets that shortcoming of his.
Bryant scored his 100th point on a free throw. After the crowd cheered, he collapsed on the Staples Center floor.
"I always knew I could do that," Bryant said of the feat.
