Kobe Bryant sent a pair of autographed sneakers upstairs to a Staples Center luxury suite, where Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping watched the NBA's leading scorer do his thing. Bryant's timing couldn't have been better, because he scored 18 of his 36 points in the third quarter -- the only one that Xi saw in its entirety. The Lakers went on to beat Phoenix 111-99 on Friday night, handing the Suns their fourth straight loss in a span of five days.