Washington – Kobe got even with Gil.
Two of the NBA’s riveting stars spent Saturday night trying to outdo each other, point for point, flashy move for flashy move, their last meeting seven weeks ago on their minds. The much anticipated Round 2 went to Kobe Bryant, who scored 39 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers over Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards, 118-102.
Bryant made 14-of-26 shots, was 9-of-10 from the free-throw line and had six rebounds and six assists in 44 minutes for the Lakers, who are 2-2 halfway through an eight-game road trip.
His highlights included a 360-degree dunk, but he helped his team more with a steady performance that outshone the erratic Arenas.
Arenas scored a franchise-record 60 points in a 147-141 overtime win at Los Angeles on Dec. 17, but he set the tone Saturday with an airball on the game’s first possession. He went 9-for-29 from the field and finished with 37 points – mainly because he was 16-for-17 from the free- throw line.
After Arenas’ 60-point game, Bryant stoked some ire by saying Arenas’ shots were “terrible” and “awful.”
