Bryant had 30 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in the Lakers' 112-100 victory over Sacramento at Arco Arena.It was his 17th career triple-double, and it wasn't the end of his stat line. He was nine of 10 from the free-throw line and committed only one turnover. The one minor critique would have been his accuracy — nine-for-22 shooting — but it was almost nitpicking compared to the rest of his work.
Bryant also set a franchise record two minutes into the game, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for career minutes. Bryant has now logged 37,527 minutes, all with the Lakers, of course.Jackson said Bryant could still be moving better defensively, but he conceded he "had a terrific night."
"His shot's on, he's got leg strength," Jackson said. "I still want to see him run freely. But he played a great game."Bryant didn't seem to mind if his coach considered him fully sound."I don't [care] whether he says it or not," he said. "I'm 100%. It is what it is."
The Kings (3-2) have been dying to resume their rivalry with the Lakers (5-0), and it might happen one of these seasons, but one overriding sense came out of Wednesday's game:Not … quite … there.
The Kings have a nice blend of youth and talent, but second-year guard Tyreke Evans (21 points) couldn't show much of it after getting in foul trouble, and rookie center DeMarcus Cousins had a bland 11 points and six rebounds.
Pau Gasol answered with 22 points, Lamar Odom had 18 and Ron Artest had 17. Derek Fisher (11 points) came alive late in the game after the Kings moved within seven, burying a three-pointer and then completing a three-point play on the next possession for a 105-92 lead with 3:14 to play.
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