Los Angeles Lakers: Top 8 Kobe Bryant moments

3. Outscoring the Mavericks through three quarters on Dec. 20, 2005

The Lakers were coming off of a frustrating loss to a struggling Houston Rockets team when Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks came to town to clash with Kobe’s Lakers. Bryant would put in a typical spectacular performance and score 32 points in the first half to give the Lakers the lead, but nobody could predict what would happen next.

Kobe would come out in attack mode in the second half as the Mavericks had no answer for the then 27-year-old Bryant. He would break the franchise record for points in a quarter with 30 before exiting the game for good with the team up 95-61 after three quarters.

Kobe Bryant had outscored the 18-6 Mavericks by himself through three quarters with a then career-high 62 points.

This game was just another display of how Kobe Bryant could channel his frustrations into explosive scoring nights instead of being caught up in the emotions throughout his career. Lakers fans chanted “We want Kobe!” throughout the fourth quarter, but the game was well out of hand and Kobe had one of his greatest performances ever.