Bryant Scores 60 in Final Game, NBA Scores

Playing in the last game of his 20-year career, Kobe Bryant put on a show for a sold-out Staples Center crowd one final time, pouring in a season-high 60 points and steering his team to a 101-96 comeback win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.

After outscoring the Jazz by himself 23-21 in the fourth quarter, Bryant checked out with 4.1 seconds left, serenaded by "Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!'' chants.

"I can't believe how fast 20 years went by. Man, this is crazy," Bryant, an 18-time All-Star, said while addressing the crowd after the game. "This is absolutely crazy ... and to be standing at center court with you guys, my teammates behind me, appreciating the journey that we've been on -- we've been through our ups, been through our downs. I think the most important part is we all stayed together throughout."

Bryant spoke about growing up a "die-hard Laker fan" and the trade that led to him spending 20 years with the organization and winning five NBA championships.

"You can't write something better than this," he said.

Bryant went on to say that he took pride in the down years "because we didn't run. We played through all that stuff, and we got our championships, and we did it the right way."

Bryant attempted 50 shots Wednesday night, the most taken by anyone in an NBA game in the past 30 seasons, according to Stats LLC. It was the sixth 60-point game of his career and marked the most points scored by a player in his final regular-season game. No Hall of Famer reached 30 points in his final game, with John Havlicek's 29 in 1978 leading the way.

"What's funny -- the thing that had me cracking up all night long -- the fact that I go through 20 years of everybody screaming to pass the ball, and then the last night they're like, 'Don't pass it!'" Bryant said, laughing.

Bulls 115, 76ers 105

Nobody's getting fired. Roster changes could be coming. That was the word from Bulls executives John Paxson and Gar Forman after Chicago closed a disappointing season with a 115-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

"We understand accountability," said Paxson, Chicago's executive vice president of basketball operations. "We are accountable for what this team did this year. We don't run away from it. We accept it. That's on us. We get it."

Paxson defended firing former coach Tom Thibodeau a year ago and said Fred Hoiberg will be back for a second season. He also said the management team is going nowhere and shot down a report that Forman's job was in jeopardy, saying, "It's not."

Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf backed it all up in a statement late Wednesday in which he mentioned a "commitment shared by all of us -- John, Gar, Fred, Michael (president and chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf) -- to be strategic and aggressive in the steps taken to improve the team."

That leaves the roster. And to that end, there are some big decisions to make after the Bulls finished 42-40 to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Pau Gasol is expected to opt out of his contract. And Joakim Noah, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, has an expiring deal. But topping the list is the backcourt.

Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler never clicked and seemed to be operating with different agendas on the court at times.

Wednesday, April 13 Scoreboard

Boston 98, Miami 88

Toronto 103, Brooklyn 96
    
Charlotte 117, Orlando 103

Detroit 112, Cleveland110 (OT)
    
Washington 109, Atlanta 98
    
Chicago 115, Philadelphia 105

San Antonio 96, Dallas 91
    
Houston 116, Sacramento 81

Indiana 97, Milwaukee 92
    
Minnesota 144, New Orleans 109
    
Golden State 125, Memphis 104
     
Los Angeles Lakers 101, Utah 96
     
Phoenix 114, Los Angeles Clippers 105

Portland 107, Denver 99

Thursday, April 14 Schedule

No games scheduled

Friday, April 15 Schedule

No games scheduled

Saturday, April 16 Schedule (All Times Central)

Indiana at Toronto, 10:30 a.m.

EASTERN CONFERENCE 1ST ROUND - GAME 1

Houston at Golden State, 1:30 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE 1ST ROUND - GAME 1

Boston at Atlanta, 5 p.m.

EASTERN CONFERENCE 1ST ROUND - GAME 1

Dallas at Oklahoma City, 7:30 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE 1ST ROUND - GAME 1

Sunday, April 17 Schedule (All Times Central)

Detroit at Cleveland, 1 p.m.

EASTERN CONFERENCE 1ST ROUND - GAME 1

Charlotte at Miami, 3:30 p.m.

EASTERN CONFERENCE 1ST ROUND - GAME 1

Memphis at San Antonio, 6 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE 1ST ROUND - GAME 1

Portland at Los Angeles, 8:30 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE 1ST ROUND - GAME 1