National Basketball Association

Kobe Bryant takes night off to rest legs as Lakers face NBA-best Warriors

Published Dec. 23, 2014 10:05 p.m. ET

foxsports

Kobe Bryant sat out the Los Angeles Lakers' game Tuesday night against the league-leading Golden State Warriors to rest his tired legs.

Turns out the Lakers didn't need the NBA's No. 3 all-time leading scorer, however, as they toppled Golden State at Staples Center 115-105 behind big nights by Carlos Boozer and Nick Young.

The 36-year-old Bryant, in his 19th NBA season, shot 3 for 15 in a one-point loss to Oklahoma City last Friday and was 8 for 30 in a seven-point defeat at Sacramento on Sunday. He entered Tuesday third in the league in scoring with 24.6 points per game, and passed Michael Jordan for third place on the career scoring list Dec. 14 at Minnesota.

This is the first game Bryant has sat out this season, after missing 76 games last season because of a torn Achilles and a fractured left knee. Coach Byron Scott said less than two hours before tipoff that the two-time scoring champ was "on board" with the decision, adding that Bryant would be evaluated before Thursday's nationally televised Christmas Day game at Chicago.