The mood for the Los Angeles Lakers was rather bleak after just finding out how serious Andrew Bynum's injury was. The Lakers just learned that center Andrew Bynum has a torn MCL and will be out for approximately two to three months. Kobe Bryant decided to try to lift the mood for the Lakers and he put on a classic and historic scoring display at Madison Square Garden. Kobe Bryant knew with Andrew Bynum being out that he would have to kick it up a notch to get his team going, and he also knew that potential taunts from Spike Lee and Mike D'Antoni could be facing him as well. That gave him plenty of incentive to deliver a special night at Madison Square Garden and he unleashed the biggest game the present building has EVER seen!
Kobe Bryant scored 61 points Monday, breaking the record for a game at the current Madison Square Garden. Bernard King had 60 points for the Knicks on Dec. 25, 1984. Bryant surpassed that mark by hitting two free throws with 2:33 left.
Most Points By Player At Current MSG (Either Team)
61
Kobe Bryant
Feb. 2, 2009
60
Bernard King
Dec. 25, 1984
55
Michael Jordan
March 28, 1995
55
Bernard King
Feb. 16, 1985
52
Jamal Crawford
Jan. 26, 2007
Bryant broke the current arena record with 61 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers looked plenty potent without Bynum in a 126-117 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday night. "It's a blessing to do what you love and to have moments like this," Bryant said. Bryant teased and pleased a sold-out crowd that took turns booing him and saluting him with "MVP!" chants during an electrifying performance. He passed Michael Jordan's opponent record of 55 points at the present building, known as "Garden IV," when he hit three free throws with 3:56 remaining, then bettered Bernard King's mark of 60, set on Christmas Day 1984, with two more foul shots with 2:33 to play. Bryant, who also finished with the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season, left to a loud ovation after the 24th 50-point game of his career. It was also his fifth 40-point game here, where the Knicks played their first game in February 1968.
Kobe On Point
Kobe Bryant recorded his fifth career 60-point game on Monday night, the second most in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain's 32.
Most Points By Kobe Bryant
81
Jan. 22, 2006*
65
March 16, 2007*
62
Dec. 20, 2005*
61
Feb. 2, 2009*
60
March 22, 2007*
* -- Won game
It saved him from a rough night with Lee, the director and Knicks superfan he is working on a project with. "On a lighter note, I'm going to review this documentary I'm doing with Spike Lee tonight after the game and I didn't feel like sitting next to him and hearing him talking trash about the Knicks, so that was added incentive as well," Bryant said. "Seriously. He's going to get an earful tonight."
D'Antoni might, too. He's a rival from past postseasons when he was coaching Phoenix and playfully sparred with Bryant as an assistant with the U.S. Olympic team this summer. Bryant said not to underestimate his desire to quiet the coach. "We tried to do the rope-a-dope a little bit where he might shoot himself out, but he didn't," D'Antoni said. "He just kept on going."
Pau Gasol added 31 points and 14 rebounds in the Lakers' first game since losing Bynum, their starting center, for eight to 12 weeks with a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee. They'll be fine without him if Bryant plays the way he did Monday, going 19-of-31 with an array of tough jumpers, powerful drives to the basket and perfect foul shooting. He also hit all 20 free throws. 
"He was on fire from the start and finished the game almost the same way," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "That was a remarkable performance." Jackson also was the coach when Michael Jordan set the previous Garden record for most points by an opponent with 55 for Chicago on March 28, 1995. He recalled that Jordan was playing in just his fifth game in 22 months. "He wasn't really totally himself as a player yet," Jackson said. "We just stuck him in the post." He added, "Both remarkable performances."
Bryant said he didn't know Jordan owned that record. "But I watched the game, actually, when he had that game," he said, "just oohing and aahing and just marveling at the performance, as I'm sure we all were."
Bynum was hurt Saturday at Memphis when Bryant missed a driving shot, then crashed into his leg. The center isn't expected to need surgery and said he was confident he would return in time for the playoffs.
Fun Facts
• Los Angeles has now won four straight vs. the Knicks and is 3-0 on its current six-game road trip.
• The Knicks lost their first of three straight games vs. opponents with a record more than 25 games above .500, the first team in league history to face such a stretch. They'll play Cleveland (37-9) and Boston (40-9) in their next two games.
• Kobe Bryant scored 61 in the Lakers' first game without Andrew Bynum this season.
The Lakers reached the NBA Finals last season despite losing Bynum for the final 46 games with an injury to his left knee, but they missed his inside presence when they were overpowered by Boston in six games.
Gasol and Odom were too big for the undersized Knicks, but the Lakers will get a truer test of where they are without Bynum when they visit the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers later this week. Let's hope that all the players for the Los Angeles Lakers step up to the plate and give the top two teams in the East a run for their money. Go Lakers!!
Bryant's night quickly became the talk of the league.
"I've never had a night like that," said Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who scored 32 in Miami's win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. "You could tell, just watching the highlights, he had a pep in his step and he was on a mission. With Bynum out, he's going to have to do a little more, and I think he understands that. I mean, 61 points, that's Kobe -- that's all you can say." Hearing Wade, Heat rookie Michael Beasley became wide-eyed. "Kobe scored 61?" he asked. "You serious?"
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