On January 22, 2006, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. 81 points put Kobe second on the all-time single game scoring record. The record is currently held by Wilt Chamberlain when he scored 100 points against the New York Knicks in 1962.
After scoring 26 points in the first half, Bryant exploded for 55 after the break - four shy of Chamberlain's record for points in a half. He outscored the Raptors by 14 points after halftime. Bryant made 28-of-46 shots - including 7-of-13 3-pointers - and 18-of-20 free throws. He shattered his previous career high of 62 points set vs. Dallas in just three quarters on December 20. With just under five minutes remaining and the Lakers leading, 108-96, Bryant knocked down a 3-pointer to join Chamberlain, former Laker Elgin Baylor, David Thompson, and David Robinson in the 70-point club - a threshold Jordan never reached.
After making a layup with 3:26 remaining to reach 74 points, Bryant scored his last seven from the free-throw line. He sank a pair of free throws with 43 seconds left to complete his magical performance and exited to a huge ovation with 4.2 seconds to go.