NBA news: Kobe Bryant has broken the record for the most points in a single basketball game! He scored 61 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers defeat the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant makes a slam dunk during the NBA game against New York Knicks held in New York, the United States, Feb. 2, 2009. Los Angeles Lakers won 126-117.

Bryant's previous highest tally in New York was 46 points back in 2003. He started strong on Monday, hitting 5 of the team's first 6 points to give the Lakers a 6-2 lead. New York trailed by only one at the end of the second quarter, but Bryant came back from a break and virtually took over.

He scored nine points in just over one minute to make the score 49-42. Bryant continued his torrid pace with 12 more in the third quarter, including a fade away jumper that put the Lakers up by 4.

The fourth quarter was much like the other three as Bryant scored basket after basket, including a jumper to give the Lakers a 14 point lead. To cap off his night, Bryant scored on a spinning drive, drawing an appreciative round of applause from the New York fans. 126-117, the final score.