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 Bryant scored 32 points, and the Lakers ended a three-game skid
with a 98-95 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday at Staples
Center. Bryant, who leads the NBA in scoring this season at 25.5
points per game, needs 31 points to pass Jordan's mark of 32,292
points.
Jordan sits in third place behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and
Karl Malone (36,928).
Bryant said he isn't consumed with moving up the list.
"It's not like a distraction or anything. It's coming," Bryant said.
"It's not like it's going to happen or not or that sort of thing. I
just take it all in stride."
Added Lakers guard Nick Young, who finished with 12 points in the
win, "I always grew up a Kobe Bryant fan, especially being from L.A.
I remember having the jerseys and all of that, so coming into the
locker room and talking trash to one of the best players in the game
(is) crazy."
Bryant shot 11-for-27 from the floor as the Lakers (6-16) handed the
Kings (11-11) their sixth loss in eight games. Sacramento again
played without center DeMarcus Cousins, who missed his seventh game
due to viral meningitis. The Kings are 2-5 in his absence.
 Lakers forward Carlos Boozer had 15 points and nine rebounds.
Point guard Darren Collison led Sacramento with 26 points, and
forward Rudy Gay finished with 23 points. Guard Ben McLemore added
15 points.
"We just came up short," said Gay, who hit seven of 18 shots,
including two of four 3-point attempts. "We played well for three
quarters, but three quarters isn't going to win you a basketball
game in the NBA."
Sacramento led 81-78 heading to the fourth quarter.
Forward Wesley Johnson's 3-point basket pulled the Lakers to within
88-87 with 4:34 left in the game. Bryant's 3-pointer tied the score
at 92 with 2:16 remaining. After a free throw by Collison with 1:59
left gave the Kings a one-point advantage, center Jordan Hill's
bucket inside gave the Lakers a 94-93 lead with 1:39 remaining.
Collison's reverse layup put the Kings up by one, but Los Angeles
took the lead for good on Bryant's two foul shots with 34.4 seconds
remaining. Gay missed a 3-point attempt that would have given the
Kings the lead with about 20 seconds remaining. Bryant's two free
throws with 15.6 seconds left capped the scoring.
The Kings closed the first half with an 18-7 run for a 55-46 cushion
at the break. Shooting was the difference. Sacramento converted 54.1
percent of its shots, including five of 10 3-point attempts,
compared to 37.3 percent for Los Angeles. The Lakers also 11 of
their 12 3-point tries in the opening half.
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Overall, Los Angeles shot 39.6 percent (38 of 96) from the field and
20 percent (five of 25) on 3-pointers. Sacramento hit 45.7 percent
(32 of 70) of its shots and 46.7 percent (seven of 15) from behind
the 3-point arc.
The Lakers committed a season-low five turnovers, while the Kings
gave the ball away 16 times. Five of Los Angeles' six wins occurred
when they made fewer miscues than their opponent, but that wasn't
why the beat the Kings, according to Sacramento's coach.
"We lost the game for two reasons: Twenty-one second-chance points
by the Lakers and 13 missed free throws," Michael Malone said. "I
thought in the fourth quarter, we wanted the ball; they had to have
it. Big difference."
The Kings took a 67-55 lead -- their biggest -- after forward Jason
Thompson's layup with 7:53 remaining in the third quarter. The
Lakers, though, rallied and tied the score at 75 on an alley-oop
dunk by forward Ed Davis at 3:11 of the period. However, two free
throws each by center Reggie Evans and Gay and a bucket by Collison
gave Sacramento a three-point advantage at the end of the quarter.
NOTES: The Lakers donned "I Can't Breathe" t-shirts during warmups,
adding to the growing number of NBA players who have worn the
shirts. The slogan quotes the final words of Eric Garner, a New York
man who died when placed in a chokehold by a police officer. ...
Lakers coach Byron Scott was amused by Magic Johnson's comments. The
Hall of Famer and former Laker said he hoped "the Lakers lose every
game" to enhance their position for a top pick in the NBA draft.
"That's easy to say, but when you're behind the scenes and you're in
the trenches and you're coaching, that's not something you want to
do," Scott said. ... Sacramento F Rudy Gay scored 20 or more points
for the sixth time in the past seven games. He recorded five or more
assists in five of those contests.
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