KMAX: Sports

Bryant staged own farewell show for Jordan

By KEN PETERS
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) Kobe Bryant provided the entertainment at Michael Jordan's farewell party.

Playing probably his final game against Jordan, Bryant staged a sensational scoring show, driving to the basket, hitting fallaway jumpers in the lane, and nailing 3-pointers as he rang up 55 points, the NBA's high this season.

``It was fun,'' a grinning Bryant said after the Lakers beat Jordan and the Washington Wizards 108-94 Friday night.

Bryant had 42 points by halftime, breaking a team record that had stood for more than 42 years.

Shaquille O'Neal was a bit awed.

``That was a performance I've never seen before, not even on PlayStation,'' O'Neal said. ``Kobe's not really the type to back down, but in every good karate flick, in order for the student to become the man, he has to kill the teacher.

``He played aggressive, shot the ball and scored a lot of points.''

Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who saw many sensational performances by Jordan when he was his coach during six NBA title seasons at Chicago, was very impressed by Bryant's scoring show.

``That was an incredible demonstration,'' Jackson said. ``It came to a point where there was that curiosity factor: Was he going to hit 80?''

Often hailed as the ``next Michael Jordan,'' a comparison he dislikes, the 24-year-old Bryant made nine shots in a row and scored 23 consecutive Los Angeles points during a stretch of 5:42 that began late in the second quarter and put the Lakers ahead to stay.

The 40-year-old Jordan, who plans to retire again after this season, said the Lakers' star shouldn't be compared to him.

``He is going to come into his own, which is Kobe Bryant himself,'' said Jordan, who scored 23 points but just six after halftime. ``There are always going to be similarities because that is just the way he plays.

``He has stepped to the forefront and has done a great job of helping lead this team. He is very versatile and a great leader.''

Asked whether he thinks Bryant may eventually be even better than him, Jordan replied, ``I don't know. That is something that could be told over time.''

Bryant's 42-point half broke Elgin Baylor's team record of 37 points in a half, set against the New York Knicks on Nov. 15, 1960. Wilt Chamberlain holds the NBA record of 59 points, scored in the second half of his 100-point game for Philadelphia in 1962.

The 55 points were one shy of Bryant's career best, and they eclipsed the previous high in the league this season, 53 points by New York's Allan Houston in a 117-110 win over the Lakers on Feb. 16.

Bryant has scored 50 or more points five times in his career and three times this season, including 52 against Houston on Feb. 18.

He got 24 of his first-half points against Washington on 8-of-11 shooting from 3-point range, tying a league record for 3-pointers in a half. He went cold from the floor in the second half, making just one of 10 shots, a 3-pointer, but he was 10-of-12 from the line after halftime.

Bryant, who went out in the closing seconds of the third quarter after he committed his fourth foul, didn't return until midway through the final quarter.

Although the crowd was chanting, ``KOBE! KOBE!'' while he was on the bench, Bryant was surprised Jackson put him back in the game.

``It shocked me. I thought I was done. I'm getting too old for Phil to surprise me,'' he said.

Jordan, playing probably his last time in Los Angeles, was honored with a video tribute between the first and second quarters and received standing ovations from the crowd then and again when he left the game with 2:34 remaining.

A fan waved a sign that read, ``Goodbye Michael, Hello Kobe.''

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