Midway through the 2000-01 season, the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers were struggling.
They lost five of nine games in late January, and to make matters worse, Shaquille O’Neal was out of action.
Facing the mediocre Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 30, the Lakers were in danger of continuing their slide.
But Kobe Bryant seemed determined to rectify things.
He exploded for 47 points by hitting 12-of-26 shots from the field and going 23-of-26 from the free throw line, to go along with three assists and three steals.
Los Angeles started strongly, leading 35-26 at the end of the first quarter, and it held off a late Cavs rally to defeat them, 102-96.
Soon, the Lakers went on a spurt in which they won 13 of 17 contests, and by early April, they were back on track and headed toward a second straight world title.
