NBA Recap: Westbrook emulates Kobe in Lakers defeat

Two days after the second anniversary of his death, Russell Westbrook scored the highest point tally by a Los Angeles Lakers player in a single half since Kobe Bryant on his final game for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016.

Bryant recorded 38 points in the second half against the Utah Jazz as he finished the game with 60 points on that occasion. Against the Hornets, Westbrook finished with 35 points, four rebounds and five assists.

Westbrook, who has had a less than ideal start to life as a Laker, was tasked with playmaking and scoring in the absence of both LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He scored only five points in the first half before exploding for 30 points in the second half. It was his highest tally in a half since 2017 and saw him record a season-high points tally.

Westbrook erased a 20-point third quarter deficit for the Lakers against the Charlotte Hornets. His second half performance had Hornets owner Michael Jordan mortified and unable to watch for sometime as his side narrowly claimed a 117-114 win after Westbrook saw his three-point shot in the final seconds of the game come off the rim. Miles Bridges led the scoring for the Hornets with 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Gabe Vincent went off in Miami for the Miami Heat in their 121-114 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. The D’Tigers star finished with 23 points for the Heat as Jimmy Butler recorded 26 points.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to a 123-108 win over the New York Knicks. Giannis recorded 38 points and 13 rebounds in the game. Jrue Holiday also contributed a double-double for the Bucks.

The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Boston Celtics 108-92 in their NBA clash. Trae Young and John Collins both finished the game with 21 points and nine rebounds apiece for the Hawks.

The San Antonio Spurs picked up a credible 131-122 win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday in the NBA. Dejounte Murray led the scoring for the Spurs with 29 points and 12 assists, and Keldon Johnson finished with 23 points. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine scored 32 and 30 points, respectively, for the Bulls.

The Phoenix Suns picked up a 134-124 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Chris Paul recorded a triple double for the Suns with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists in the game. Devin Booker also added 29 points for the Suns in the game.

Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Utah Jazz 119-109. Ja Morant recorded a triple-double of 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Grizzlies in the game.

Denver Nuggets picked up a 116-105 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double of his own with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the Nuggets.

Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Houston Rockets 125-110 in their clash. Anfernee Simons led the scoring for the Trail Blazers with 27 points, and CJ McCollum recorded 26 points.

The Indiana Pacers picked up a 113-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Domantas Sabonis recorded a triple-double for the Pacers with 24 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists in the game.

Orlando Magic picked up a 119-103 win over the Detroit Pistons. Franz Wagner led the scoring for the Magic with 24 points as Mo Bamba recorded 18 points and 11 rebounds.