Bryant Scores First 40, O’Neal Adds 39 as Lakers Edge Kings for 18th Consecutive Win
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LOS ANGELES — On March 12, 2000, the Los Angeles Lakers rode a combined 79 points from Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal to a 109-106 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center, securing their 18th straight win of the season.
Bryant, then 21, delivered his first career 40-point performance, finishing with 40 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. O’Neal dominated the paint with 39 points and 20 rebounds, overwhelming a Kings frontcourt anchored by Vlade Divac.
Despite trailing by double digits entering the fourth quarter, Los Angeles outscored Sacramento by 15 in the final 12 minutes to complete the comeback. Reserve forwards Robert Horry and Brian Shaw chipped in a combined 21 points, while the rest of the Lakers roster totaled nine.
The Kings were led by Chris Webber’s 24 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Peja Stojakovic added 22 points, and Divac posted 15 points with 13 rebounds, but Sacramento could not withstand the Lakers’ late surge.
The contest foreshadowed a burgeoning rivalry between the two franchises, who would clash repeatedly for Western Conference supremacy in the early 2000s. On this night, however, Bryant and O’Neal proved decisive, extending a winning streak that would reach 19 before Los Angeles finally fell.
Source: Lakers Nation
