Kobe passes Magic as Lakers best Raptors

Nov 18, 2006, 6:35 GMT

Los Angeles, CA - Kobe Bryant had 31 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists while moving up on the Lakers all-time scoring list, as Los Angeles bested the Toronto Raptors, 107-100, at the Staples Center.

Bryant became the youngest player ever to reach the 17,000-point plateau (28 years, 86 days), surpassing Wilt Chamberlain, who accomplished the feat in 28 years, 102 days.

Luke Walton added 12 points and Smush Parker netted 11 for the Lakers, who have won two in a row. Lamar Odom ended with 10 points.

'We can play better than we did tonight,' Odom said. 'We played bad as a team, but we found a way to win.'

Chris Bosh poured in 20 points and grabbed 10 boards while Morris Peterson chipped in 20 points for the Raptors, who have lost four straight. T.J Ford had 13 points and six assists in the contest.

Leading 63-59 early in the third, Bryant hit a turnaround fadeaway jumper to surpass Magic Johnson (17,007) for fourth place on the Lakers all-time scoring list. Next up is Elgin Baylor, who totaled 23,149 points in 706 contests.

'We had a balanced effort,' Bryant said. 'We got everyone involved. My leg feels good. I'm healthy enough now to attack.'

After a pair of Bryant free throws extended the lead to 65-59, Toronto reeled off an 11-2 rally, highlighted by an emphatic slam from Fred Jones, to move in front for the first time, 70-69.

The game went back-and-forth, and Los Angeles took a slim 82-80 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Raptors scored eight of the first 12 points of the final frame, capped by Radoslav Nesterovic's layup, for an 88-86 lead, but the Lakers went on an 11-2 surge, including five points apiece from Jordan Farmar and Bryant, for a 97-90 margin with 4:22 remaining.

Toronto answered with back-to-back treys from Peterson and Bosh, narrowing the gap to one with under three minutes on the clock.

Bryant's jumper pushed the lead to 101-98 and Kwame Brown's free throw with 1:21 to play made it a two-possession ballgame.

After a Bosh turnover, the Lakers pulled down two offensive boards before Brown was fouled. He hit 1-of-2 from the stripe with under 30 ticks for a 103-98 advantage.

Jorge Garbajosa hit a jumper to bring the Raptors within three, but Bryant hit a pair of free throws on the other end to seal the victory.

The Lakers led 26-22 after 12 minutes of play, and outscored the Raptors 35-31 in the second quarter for a 61-53 halftime margin.

'We survived,' LA coach Phil Jackson said. 'Our offense stalled in the second half. We had to find a way to win, which was good for us.'

Game Notes

The Lakers play 10 of their next 11 games at the Staples Center.

Toronto is 0-4 on the road this season.

LA has won five straight meetings at home.

The Lakers are 17-4 against the Raptors.

Garbajosa finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.

The Lakers shot 55 percent from the floor while the Raptors connected on 46 percent of their shots from the field.

© 2006 The Sports Network