AP Was There: Kobe Bryant channels Wilt, scores 81 points
By JOHN NADEL
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kobe Bryant shoots and keeps shooting from all over the court and from every angle. The Los Angeles Lakers star has 26 points by halftime and finishes the game with 81 points for the second-highest total in NBA history. Bryant’s big game leads the Lakers to a 122-104 win over the Toronto Raptors. Only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game stands ahead of Bryant’s performance. Bryant says his performance just happened as he worked to make sure the Lakers won. He says it turned into something special. Bryant wins the scoring title that season, averaging 35.4 points.