NY Times: BRYANT SCORES 45 TO POWER LAKERS
Kobe Bryant scored 45 points, the fourth time he has scored more than 40 this season, leading the Los Angeles Lakers over the Houston Rockets, 99-94, last night. The Lakers have won four games in a row. Shaquille O’Neal added 25 points and 12 rebounds for Los Angeles. O’Neal made 4 of 10 free throws in the final 3 minutes 18 seconds. Maurice Taylor led the host Rockets with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Hakeem Olajuwon had 16 points for the Rockets, who lost their third straight. The Lakers took an 82-78 lead with 7:34 left on an alley-oop slam by Bryant. But the Rockets came back to lead, 90-89, on a 3-pointer by Cuttino Mobley and a jumper by Taylor with 4:21 to go. O’Neal made 1 of 2 free throws to make it 90-90 with 3:19 to play and made 1 of 2 again for a 91-90 lead with 2:52 left. He hit 1 of 2 with 2:26 to play for a 92-90 lead. Bryant’s jumper with 1:35 remaining stretched it to 94-90. Olajuwon tipped in a basket with 1:10 left to close it to 94-92 but O’Neal again hit 1 of 2 free throws for a 95-92 lead with 52 seconds remaining. Bryant made a jumper from the top of the key with 26 seconds to play and a breakaway dunk with 11 seconds left.
