NBA: Kobe Bryant’s best games against every team

20. Kobe v. Timberwolves, March 18, 2007

50 points (17-35 FG), 6 rebounds, 5 steals

The mid-2000s were an interesting time for the NBA. LeBron James was in the league already, dragging a hapless Cleveland Cavaliers team kicking and screaming into relevance, and his era of stars (Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh) were still “budding with potential”. This was before the time that super-teams were assembled (Boston and Miami’s “Big Three” come to mind), and well before the current NBA emphasis on efficiency.

The result is you have many nights where the rest of the Lakers players play like a clogged toilet, and their one star chooses to hoist up shot attempts in an effort to win a war of attrition against the basket.

This was the case for the entire 2006-07 season. Expect to see a lot of games from this season.

Oddly enough, tonight was a night where those shots were dropping. Not just for Bryant; the Lakers team shot 52.5% from the field, better than Bryant’s 48%.

On the other side, the 28-37 Timberwolves were in a similar situation. They had a superstar in Kevin Garnett, and a sidekick wannabe superstar, Ricky Davis, who did more damage to his own team with his misses than he did to the other team with his makes. Otherwise, this was a team in rot, one that was ready to unload its biggest asset.

This was Kobe’s second of four straight games with at least 50 points. And yet, this game is ranked lower than it normally would, and that’s because of how depressing it feels watching it.

Next: #19