NBA: Kobe Bryant’s best games against every team

29. Kobe v. Bucks, March 24, 2006

43 points (12-26 FG), 5-10 3-pt FG, 14-14 FT

This ought to give you a sense of what’s in store. Not only did Kobe crack 40 points, he was perfect from the stripe, drained five 3-pointers, and put the game away with six clutch free throws in the closing seconds. And there are 28 games that are better than this.

Mind you this isn’t a ranking of Kobe Bryant’s 29 best games, a list that would yield even more impressive results compared to this. No, this exercise is limited to one example per opponent.

This game has some trademark elements to which you, the reader, should gain some familiarity:

• Points will come in spurts, like how five of Kobe’s first six buckets were his five 3-pointers.
• Teammates will under-perform, like how the Lakers shot only 42.9% from the floor thanks largely to Brian Cook (1-8) and Luke Walton (1-5).
• Opposing coaches will not attempt to justify a method to stop Kobe. Take Terry Stotts:

From ESPN:

"“Kobe had a terrific game,” Bucks coach Terry Stotts said. “We probably did a good job on him, actually — after the way he started off. He made his foul shots down the stretch, but for 2 1-2 quarters, we did as good a job as you could ask for.”"

Exasperation will be a motif for both Kobe and his opponents. Games where Kobe takes over tend to be the result of necessity on his part, and when his shots hit there’s nothing a defense can do.

[H/T: ESPN]

Next: #28