LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant scored 21 points in 19 minutes to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to 126-83 rout over Maccabi Haifa of Israel on Sunday night at Staples Center.
The 37-year old Bryant, who is about to enter his 20th NBA season, made 6-of-10 field goals and 4-of-6 triples as the Lakers notched their first preseason victory in four tries. Bryant, a 5-time champion, also sank all of his five free throws.
Six other players scored in double-figures for Los Angeles, which led from start to finish. Nick Young had 16 while Julius Randle, who played just 14 minutes in his rookie campaign last season due to a broken leg, added 14 points and nine rebounds.
The Lakers also got eight points and 16 rebounds from center Roy Hibbert while point guard D'Angelo Russell, the 2nd overall pick in this year's draft, dropped 11 assists and 5 points after sitting out a game because of a bruised glue.
Reginald Buckner led Maccabi paced Maccabi with 20 points and seven boards while Oz Blayzer pumped in 17. Former UCLA Bruin and Los Angeles born Dijon Thompson missed 9-of-11 shots for eight points. Thompson, who has played for the Phoenix Suns and Atlanta Hawks, was the only Maccabi player with NBA experience.
The Lakers resume their exhibition season on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning, October 14 in Manila) when they play the Sacramento Kings at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Comments
Share your thoughts on the above article by Ryan Rodis.