Balanced Nuggets overcome Kobe’s 28 to beat Lakers, 116-105

Kobe Bryant hit four 3-pointers and scored 28 points in his final meeting with the Nuggets, producing his highest-scoring performance in almost eight weeks during his farewell season.

Now, the Lakers forward can add a triple-double to his resume after recording one for the first time in his pro or college career.

On Friday, though, the 37-year-old helplessly watched from the bench as his teammates allowed a four-point deficit to balloon to 15 points by the halfway point in the fourth quarter.

Bryant has periodically sat out games in order to rest his sore right shoulder, but he told head coach Byron Scott that he plans to play in both Sunday’s Easter contest and Monday’s tilt at Utah.

Despite averaging only 1.1 assists in his last 17 games, Randle doubled his previous career-high by reaching double-digit dimes Friday.

They are rookie point guards trying to make their way through the NBA, Lakers point guard the Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell and Denver’s Emmanuel Mudiay seeking to prove they have the goods.

The No. 2 pick in June’s draft, Russell struggled in 12 minutes against the Nuggets. He appeared to be making a normal defensive move late in the first half when he rolled his ankle and immediately went down in pain. The second-year forward/pseudo-rookie put up 13 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists on the night, good for the first triple-double of his career.

A Lakers spokesman said X-rays came back negative and that the team will know more Saturday about whether Russell will have to miss time.

Lakers: Metta World Peace had seven points and a good-looking steal in 14 minutes of action.