LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kobe Bryant scored 20 of his 24 points on a variety of jump shots during a dynamic second quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers sent the Washington Wizards to their 11th straight loss, 99-92 Sunday night.
Pau Gasol had 28 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, who won their sixth straight after a three-game skid. The defending NBA champions had little trouble with woeful Washington in the first three quarters, jumping to a 26-point halftime lead after another memorable quarter by Bryant.
After hitting four 3-pointers and scoring 16 points in the final 512 minutes before halftime alone, Bryant fell one point shy of matching Alex English for 12th place on the NBA’s career scoring list when he scored just two points in the second half.
