61*
Kobe Bryant (photo. Mannion)Kobe Bryant set the Madison Square Garden single-game scoring record tonight with 61 points. Hitting 19-of-31 from the field and 20-of-20 from the line, Mamba made everyone forget about Andrew Bynum’s injury status, at least for a couple of hours, and the Lakers won in a blowout. Oh, and he only played 36 minutes.
Early in the first quarter, right after I’d turned the game on, I sent an e-mail to one of my boys who works for Nike that said only, “Q-Rich is guarding Kobe. ‘THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN EXHIBITION!!” He replied back: “HEEEEEEEELP!!” Q got his help; by the end of the period Mike D’Antoni saw what was happening and switched Wilson Chandler onto Kobe, and I never saw Q again.
Dime’s own Aron Phillips was at MSG for the game and hit up both locker rooms pre-game and post-game, so we’ll be able to get you some behind-the-scenes coverage either tonight or tomorrow morning.
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:46 pm
archer76dragon says:
I would have played Kobe to see if he could eclipse 81. But i guess team first right? right?
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Big Mike says:
Mamba was lethal tonight. He served up a great show in MSG. Also, Clyde Frazier has to be the best color analyst..lol
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:51 pm
dagwaller says:
Torture, mother****er…
Seriously, though, imagine if Kobe had gotten injured later in the game? No Bynum AND no Kobe would drive about 10 percent of the popluation of LA off of a cliff.
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:51 pm
nckdmss says:
Most points in a game without recording a single rebound?
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:56 pm
Kyle says:
He didn’t need to rebound int the game then he’s demoralizing the Knicks with his will to win.
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:59 pm
GoEasy says:
ummm…. suns-kings game is getting out of hand…
105-57 at the end of the 3rd?
mercy rule please
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:00 pm
KB24 says:
Why rebound?…when you can run down the court and receive the ball? haha.
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Smitty313 says:
People will complain about anything. 81 no assist, 61 no rebounds. Who cares he got alot of points and a win. would it have meant anything if he had 61 and 4 rebounds? HELL NO!
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Celts Fan says:
I hate on the guy pretty often but WOW
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Ian says:
“He didn’t need to rebound int the game then he’s demoralizing the Knicks with his will to win”
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha laker fans can come up with weird shit sometimes
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:32 pm
. says:
well actually even with his 0 rebounds his team outrebounded the knicks 52-41.
theres only so many rebounds to go around
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:40 pm
dmitry of jersey says:
i’m same as Celts Fan.. i tend to rag on Kobe but few can score like him. wish i watched this game instead of working late.
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Mike C says:
MJ was the better overall player. But when it comes to just scoring the ball, Kobe is at least his equal. Jordan was more efficient but Kobe is just more explosive.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:02 am
the antoine says:
if lebron had dropped 61 all you would hear is hes the greatest.. hes gonna pass MJ blah blah blah.. outside of LA kobe gets very little love.. well lets see how lebron does against the knicks up next..
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:19 am
Tbeezy says:
That shit is weak. He missed 12 shots, didn’t have any rebounds and he turned the ball over twice. Plus what’s up with only playing 37 minutes. He needs to work on his cardio so he can play 40+ minutes. If Jordan played against QRich and Wilson Chandler without the hand checking rules he would have dropped 90. Kobe needs to step his game up if he ever wants to compete with the Celtics.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:24 am
the cynic says:
61 points, that it? This was D’toni game where 61 really only means 41
Mamba loves MSG as much as MJ
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:26 am
jackass says:
nice one tbeezy, that’s if you were trying to be funny. I’m gonna have to start considering kobe with the GOAT in the same sentence. I hated on him long time but i have to say now man is he an assassin or what? he ain’t #23 but he sure is close though.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:33 am
lololz says:
yo tbeezy, the fact that he scored 61 points while playing only 37 is kind of amazing. if he played the whole game im sure he would’ve scored more. missed twelve shots? he made 19 of them, he had an efficient shooting night. no rebounds? lamar and pau took care of the rebounds for the lakers. turnovers? with the huge amount of time that the ball was in his hands, its amazing he only had two turnovers.
and it’s pointless to say that if jordan was playing against chandler blah blah blah. he didn’t. kobe was the one who played against the knicks tonight and set an MSG record. accept it. and even better, appreciate it.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:38 am
tbeezy says:
Nah, I’m just playing. I’m a huge lakers fan, just trying to get some people riled up. After all the shit talked about the lakers and bynum today I just thout I’d clown around on here. No matter what happens people will always hate on kobe. It’s something he’s used to, so lakers fans might as well be used to it too.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:42 am
metsdan says:
hahaha yeah that was funny. it’s also about 90% of what my buddy from sac-town will say when i call him to mock the queens.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:43 am
Fobuless says:
I think kobe was frustrated that he was the one who caused the injury, and that’s why he put up 61.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:50 am
Biglang Liko says:
And this is why Kobe is still the best player. Lebron is playing catch up. He’ll get there sometime.
36 minutes on that absurd shooting? Perfect from the line… Kobe has all the scoring fundamentals down. Something LBJ should emulate.
Next to MJ, he’s the most explosive.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:56 am
hoopsguru says:
you guys know what this means dontcha?
Dime’s gotta step up and put out another “in honor of Kobe” subscription offer like they did last time he went off……this time “61 cents for a year”!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:01 am
rlf says:
all this with a dislocated finger
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:09 am
Ian says:
ah shit timmeh got ejected on a bullshit call fuck that
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:11 am
dagwaller says:
hoopsguru, I’m waiting for them to do a Chuck Hayes special where Dime only charges me 1.1 cents for a year.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:11 am
Ian says:
but like barkley would say
“GINOBLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII”
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:21 am
Austin Burton says:
@Ian — What did you honestly think of that foul call at the end of regulation on Turiaf?
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:43 am
Me says:
lol@complaining about Duncan’s foul, when the refs handed the Spurs the game. I’ve never seen a more phantom foul in my life. Seriously, when are the refs gonna get clued in about Ginobli’s flopping? It’s a disgrace.
As for Kobe, now he has Bynum as his excuse for jacking up 30 shots a night. I forsee him making a real go at LeBron’s MVP trophy. The person who called that in the other thread is right.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:44 am
Aron Phillips says:
It was amazing!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:58 am
the cynic says:
Ginobli didn’t flop, he had just lost his balance. The ref screwed it up either way though; Roni never touched him
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:06 am
Austin Burton says:
@cynic — I think there was contact, but not as much as Manu made it seem. I wasn’t too upset about the call.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:08 am
Big Sia says:
And the day after Bynum goes down…. Statement game? Anyone who knows Mamba finds 0% of any of this surprising.
The man is an assasin in every sense of the word. Putting a Mike D’Antoni defense squad is just putting a fucking buffettt out there
Disgusting performance still
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qyRYkvvSz4&feature=channel_page
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:10 am
eric cartman says:
He’s just pissed at himself for fucking Bynum up, and he felt that he’ll take out his frustration on the Knicks because he won’t be able to do that to the Celts or Cavs.
I’m all for the Lakers, but them losing Bynum just gave them less of a chance to win a chip, especially against the East’s big 3. Hope Drew gets back in form by the 2nd round when they’re trashing the Suns or something. Then Mamba can ask Shaq how his nuts taste when he crams one down on the Diesel like he did DHow once.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:27 am
nola says:
eric cartman=idiot.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:46 am
yoda says:
and when you think that pau had 31 pts and 14 rebs in this game…
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:26 am
fools gold says:
What’s the asterik for? as in… *with only 8 fingers?
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:23 am
lololz says:
fools gold: asterisk as in “scored against the knicks’, uh, defense.
but yeah, that could be too. done with only eight fingers.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:29 am
Eric says:
Phil Jackson was comparing Kobe’s 61 to Michael’s 55 and incorrectly said “I don’t think MJ took any 3s that game”. Jordan made at least three 3-point goals, during the 1995 season which had the shorter distance.
Don’t get me wrong, #45 making his return to the garden was spectacular, given a year+ off from basketball and facing a much better knicks team, but Kobe put on just as good a show.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:48 am
Hi, Jurg from Denmark says:
hi hi to mr burton.
and can i say i really enjoy apollo creed line you say. and this was from rocky four – the best rocky movie of some all. although i do love number 3 so much too.
and i love ko’. he is king ko’ in my basketball community.
and goodbye to my bitchys and homoes from jurgo. hi hi.
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:16 am
QQ says:
Just when everyone was saying that Bron is the MVP (that includes me), Kobe puts up a game that makes you say ‘ONLY the best player in the league can do that’. Kobe’s clearly gunnin’ for a repeat. The rest of the Leauge should watch out.
PS: What was Paul Pierce thinking while watching the game? Something along the likes of ‘Okay, okay. I’m NOT the best player in the world’, maybe?
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:21 am
fallinup says:
Here’s my take. 61 was phenomenal. But I hope this doesn’t usher in the “jacker” Kobe. Kobe was already my MVP favorite without scoring out of his head.
Well done though. I was counting all the way up to double nickle. haha
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:46 am
E$ says:
It’s the least he can do after hurting Bynum
– Hope he’s not too tired come playoffs
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:34 am
Jayo says:
I don’t understand why everybody, including Dime is making such a big deal about Kobe’s 61. He’s a great player, but c’mon. Everybody knows that when you play GS, the Knicks, & Sacto. Your stats will be inflated, b/c they don’t play no defense. Even the Fantasy Doc tells us to play guys who are playing the the Knicks.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:13 am
lololz says:
jayo: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Kobe-to-Lakers-I-got-this-?urn=nba,138460
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Behind-the-Box-Score-where-we-saw-the-beast-in-?urn=nba,138493
yes, they play no defense. but 61 points is an amazing feat. it takes a special player to achieve that. how many games have the knicks played this year? how many players have dropped 61 points on them? right.
and in my opinion… with the way kobe was playing earlier, even a good defensive team would’ve had trouble guarding him.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:49 am
TJ says:
“What’s the asterisk for?”
It’s a reference to a movie made about Mantle and Maris chasing Ruth’s home run record.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/61*
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:14 am
Drink the Haterade (KB24 Chip 09) says:
PS: What was Paul Pierce thinking while watching the game? Something along the likes of ‘Okay, okay. I’m NOT the best player in the world’, maybe?
LMFAO
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:15 am
Ian says:
austin
there was contact manu kinda slipped he didnt flop on that one so u have to make the call. now tell me about duncans 6th?
jayo
wrong ur stats arent inflated like that against anyone (i hate kobe but i cant say its no big deal) does everyone drop 61 on the knicks ??? apperently not because thats a record. how many people get 17 and 9 in the 1st quarter against goldenstate ???
ME
did u watch the game?????? or just highlights that game shouldnt have gone to the wire if parker gets one or two calls when people were throwing (cory) him around to the floor.
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:34 am
control says:
Ian
Manu superman jumped in an unnatural direction considering where the defender was coming from. It wasn’t just a flop, it was a superflop. The refs are morons and inbred for falling for his bullshit.