Report: Kobe to Sit, Durant Will Win Scoring Title

Kobe needed 38 points tonight in order to retake the NBA’s scoring lead. But with the Playoffs starting this weekend, reasonable heads prevailed and Kobe will allegedly sit out L.A.’s final game of the regular season: “Kobe Bryant will not play in the Los Angeles Lakers’ regular-season finale against the Sacramento Kings, meaning that Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant will win the scoring title. Bryant averaged 27.86 points per game, second in the league to Durant’s 28.03. With Durant’s regular season over, Bryant would have had to score 38 points to prevent the Thunder forward from claiming his third straight scoring title. With the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs already locked up, Lakers coach Mike Brown opted to sit the team’s stars and use the game as a talent evaluator for its young players.”