Bryant joins Chamberlain in record books
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-01 13:01

NEW YORK - Kobe Bryant is back in Wilt Chamberlain's company again. Bryant scored 40 points, despite making only one field goal in the second half, to cap off his sensational month and lead the Los Angeles Lakers over the frustrated New York Knicks 130-97 Tuesday night.

Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (8) shoots as he is fouled by the New York Knicks' Channing Frye during the second quarter in NBA basketball action Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006 at Madison Square Garden in New York. [AP]

Bryant sparked a pair of early runs, then spent the rest of the night leading a parade of Lakers to the foul line. He was 7-of-17 from the field and 23-of-26 at the line.

The NBA's leading scorer averaged 43.4 points in 13 games this month, highlighted by his 81-point outing that was the second-best scoring game in NBA history. He joined Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to average 40 or more points in a month more than once according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Chamberlain, whose 100-point game is the only one better than Bryant's career-best outing, did it five times. Bryant also averaged 40.6 points in February 2003.

Elgin Baylor is the only other player to average 40 in a month.

Smush Parker added 15 points and Chris Mihm had 14 for the Lakers, who were 43-of-58 from the line. The Knicks were 20-of-24.

Qyntel Woods scored 15 points and Quentin Richardson had 14 for the Knicks, who were called for five technical fouls — two on coach Larry Brown — and a flagrant. New York has lost three straight and nine of 10, but at least showed some fight after displaying little in a 120-101 loss at Atlanta on Monday night.

Davis provided the Knicks with an early spark in his first game since serving his five-game suspension for climbing into the stands during a game, scoring seven early points as the Knicks opened an 18-9 lead. Bryant then scored 14 points in a 22-4 spurt that gave the Lakers a 31-22 lead in the final minute of the quarter.

Bryant sat out the early part of the second quarter, then helped the Lakers blow open the game midway through the period. He scored the final seven points in a 12-0 run that extended a seven-point lead to a 49-30 advantage with 4:17 left in the half.

His layup a little more than a minute later made it 51-34, but he wouldn't make another field goal until a 3-pointer with 10 1/2 minutes remaining in the game. He scored 82 points in two games against the Knicks this season.

By then, the Knicks were fed up with watching Bryant and the rest of the Lakers parade to the foul line. Davis was called for a flagrant foul when he grabbed Bryant by the neck with 7:09 left in the third quarter, and New York's Channing Frye and Mihm were called for double technicals with 5:46 remaining in the period.

Brown was ejected during a timeout following that play. Referee Steve Javie called a first technical on Brown, then a second and an automatic ejection after Brown continued to argue.

Brown then walked onto the floor right up to Javie to continue the argument before being pulled away. Herb Williams, who coached the Knicks at the end of the last season, finished up the game.