Badly needing to build momentum with the playoffs nearing, the Los Angeles Lakers traveled to Tennessee to take on the Memphis Grizzlies on March 22, 2007.
The Grizzlies were a terrible team, but they had a star big man by the name of Pau Gasol, and thus they wouldn’t go down easily.
Los Angeles had been decimated by key injuries and bad vibes over the previous weeks, reducing it to needing Kobe Bryant to carry them.
By this point of his career, Bryant was over looking to one-up an opposing star with a big game to make a point, but he wasn’t beneath having a big game to help his squad.
He erupted for 60 points on 20-of-37 shooting from the field and 17-of-18 from the free-throw line, plus four assists as the Lakers squeaked by Memphis, 121-119.
It was the Black Mamba’s third straight game with at least 50 points, and all of them were wins for the Purple and Gold.
For the Grizzlies, Gasol had a big night with 35 points on 17-of-23 from the field and 15 rebounds.
Little did anyone know the Lakers’ dog days would end less than 12 months later when Gasol become Bryant’s teammate in L.A.
