Kobe Bryant Leads Lakers Past SuperSonics For 14th Consecutive Win
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On Jan. 8, 2000, the Los Angeles Lakers erased a 17-point halftime deficit and defeated the Seattle SuperSonics, 110-100, recording their 14th straight victory and improving to 29-5.
Kobe Bryant powered the comeback with 31 points, six rebounds and three steals. Shaquille O’Neal added 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Glen Rice supplied 24 points for head coach Phil Jackson’s club, then in his first season with the team.
Los Angeles struggled early, falling behind 58-41 at the break. The tide turned in the third quarter when the Lakers intensified their defense and outscored Seattle 34-12 to seize control.
The SuperSonics were led by Vin Baker’s 31 points and 10 rebounds. Gary Payton, who later joined the Lakers, played all 48 minutes and finished with 23 points and nine assists. Ruben Patterson contributed 21 points and 10 rebounds.
The victory was part of a mid-season surge that eventually reached 16 games before Los Angeles fell to the Indiana Pacers, the team they would later defeat in the NBA Finals that June.
Source: Lakers Nation
