NEW YORK—Kobe Bryant became just the fourth player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in three consecutive games in leading his LA Lakers to a 121-119 road win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.
Bryant went 20-for37 from the field and made 17 of his 18 free throws for his 60-point haul to join Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and former Laker Elgin Baylor in a select group of high-scoring specialists.
"It's really special and very humbling to be in the same company," Bryant told reporters after the game.
Bryant had 50 points against Minnesota on Sunday and dropped 65 points, the second highest total of his career, against Portland on March 16.
Jordan was the last player to score at least 50 points in three straight games during the 1986-87 season, with both Bryant and the former Chicago Bulls great now having four 60-point games in their careers, tying them for the second in league history.
Chamberlain leads with 13.
The Grizzlies struggled to contain Bryant throughout the game and his nine consecutive points during a 90-second stretch in the fourth quarter put the Lakers ahead for good at 95-93.
Los Angeles had lost seven of its past 10 meetings with the lowly Grizzlies (17-52), and Memphis was trying to win the season series after splitting the first two games earlier this year.
The Grizzlies kept it close all night, trailing 60-54 at the half and closing the deficit to 92-91 after three quarters.
Lamar Odom had 20 points and hauled down 15 rebounds for the Lakers, while Luke Walton added 11 points.
Pau Gasol had an outstanding night for the Grizzlies, hitting 17 of his 23 field goal attempts and finishing with 35 points and 15 rebounds, while Mike Miller added 33 points and seven assists.
*Yao Ming had 27 points, seven rebounds and made a key block in the final minute to lift the Houston Rockets past the Detroit Pistons 91-85.
*Tyrus Thomas scored on a tip-in with two-tenths of a second left in regulation, lifting the Chicago Bulls past the Denver Nuggets 109-108. Denver saw its five-game winning streak snapped with the loss.
*The New York Knicks missed a chance to move into an Eastern Conference playoff spot by losing 92-86 to the Portland Trail Blazers.
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