BRYANT IS BACK IN THE 60S SCORES 60 IN LAKERS' WIN OVER MEMPHIS LAKERS 121, MEMPHIS 119.

Byline: ROSS SILER

Staff Writer

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Who would have guessed when Kobe Bryant made the jump to the NBA out of Lower Merion (Pa.) High in 1996 that he would redefine March Madness all these years later?

The comparisons for Bryant's scoring binge might have run out after the Lakers' 121-119 victory Thursday night over the Memphis Grizzlies, when the superstar guard could only joke about the man he calls "the human video game."

That would be Wilt Chamberlain, in whose company Bryant once again finds himself in. His 60-point game at FedEx Forum was his third straight of 50 or more and his three-game total of 175 points is the most by any player except Chamberlain.

That he reached 60 against a Memphis team with the NBA's worst record (17-52) and flimsiest defense made Bryant's milestone no less spectacular. He scored 36points in the second half as the Lakers extended their winning streak to three games.

"For him to reach these feats, if you know him it's not surprising because he's really focused and his will to win is incredible," Lakers forward Lamar Odom said. "So when anybody has the will to win like that, anything's possible."

Bryant made 20 of 37 shots, played the entire second half and hit his first 16 free throws in going 17 of 18 at the foul line. He joined Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor and Chamberlain as the only players to score 50or more in three straight games.

Jordan was the only player in a generation to do so before Bryant, scoring 53, 50 and 61 points in April 1987, leaving Lakers coach Phil Jackson to joke that "I think I was in high school at that time."

Somewhere Jerry West, the man responsible for bringing Bryant to the Lakers and now the Grizzlies' president of basketball operations, had to be watching in amazement. It was Bryant's highest-scoring road game ever and marked the fourth 60-point game of his career.

Chamberlain holds the record with 32career 60-point games. Bryant and Jordan now share second place with four each.

"I'm doing my part and other guys are stepping up and doing theirs as well," Bryant said. "I just feel like guys are finding me. It's not like I'm taking difficult shots outside of a couple of them, but I'm already in rhythm by the time I take those, so I feel pretty good.

"But to get in rhythm, I have to get great picks, great looks, great passes. You can't do that without the help of your teammates, particularly because they're sending double- and triple-teams."

The records hardly end there. Chamberlain held the first 16 spots on the list of the greatest three-game point totals in NBA history before Thursday. Bryant's 175 tied for 11th, Chamberlain's record of 226includes his immortal 100-point game.

"He's in a zone right now," Lakers forward Luke Walton said of Bryant. "Most people get in zones for one game. He's been in a zone for about a week straight now. It's been a pretty amazing display that he's put on."

After Bryant's 65- and 50-point games against Portland and Minnesota, the Grizzlies had to know what awaited them Thursday. Yet the Grizzlies were powerless to stop Bryant, who is shooting 54 percent these past three games.

Bryant missed his first three shots but got in rhythm with a reverse dunk and scored 13points in the first quarter. He reached halftime with 24 points after burying a 29-foot 3-pointer.

The third quarter saw Bryant mix it up twice with Dahntay Jones, drawing a double foul and later a double technical. It took Bryant's 19 points in the third for the Lakers to withstand the Grizzlies' 37-point quarter.

The Lakers finally made their push at the start of the fourth as Sasha Vujacic hit a 3-pointer and Ronny Turiaf drained a jumper. Bryant scored his 50th point with 8:09 left as he popped out for a jumper and drew a foul from rookie Rudy Gay.

"He's in a league all to himself," Jackson said. "What you admire in Kobe is that he's going to attack, he's going to be in that mode and he's going to continue to go at a team until either you take him out of ballgame or else they stop him."

The only blemish came with 10.3 seconds left when Bryant caught Jones with an elbow to the face as he went for an inbounds pass. Bryant twice has been suspended as well as assessed a retroactive flagrant foul by the league for striking players in the face.

Bryant was called for an offensive foul but wasn't concerned afterward, saying of Jones, "He flopped. He knows he flopped. If he says he didn't flop, he's a liar."

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CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Kobe Bryant became the fourth player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in three straight games, scoring 60 Thursday.

Alan Spearman/Associated Press

(2) The Lakers' Kobe Bryant finishes off a dunk in the fourth quarter of Thursday's game in Memphis.

Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Box:

KOBE'S PAST THREE GAME