Kobe Bryant passed Wilt Chamberlain for fourth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list in his return to the Lakers' starting lineup after a nagging left foot injury. Bryant scored 19 points and a season high 14 assists to lead the Lakers past the Sacramento Kings in a 103-98 win on Saturday.
"My foot's (messed) up, but other than that, I feel great," Bryant told ESPN after the game. Bryant added nine rebounds and facilitated the Lakers' offense for 47 minutes, 37 seconds after Steve Nash, who also returned Saturday from a hamstring injury, exited early in the first quarter.
"I thought that was key -- those 23 seconds. Otherwise he would've been tired," coach Mike D'Antoni said, sarcastically. "He just looked at me and said, 'I'm not coming out tonight.' Sounds good to me."
Dwight Howard had a standout performance for Los Angeles, recording 24 points and 15 rebounds. Pau Gasol added 12 points and 10 assists, while three others scored in double figures for Los Angeles. The Lakers' strong play on Saturday helped them stay even with Utah for the eight and final playoff seed.
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