NEW ORLEANS -- As his emotional farewell tour tiptoes relentlessly toward closing night, Kobe Bryant opened the final three-game road trip of his 20-year NBA career Friday night.

The 18-time All-Star with the five championship rings was right at home at center stage, soaking up a pair of standing ovations from the New Orleans Pelicans' crowd at the Smoothie King Center.

Even though the Lakers continued their downward spiral to the worst season in the franchise's storied history with a 110-102 loss, Bryant took several heartfelt bows at center stage.

After scoring 14 of the Lakers (16-63) 27 first-quarter points - his highest output in a first quarter this season - Bryant rested the entire second quarter and was held scoreless in the first seven minutes of the third quarter.

It looked as though Lakers coach Byron Scott had decided to shut down Bryant for the night, especially since the Lakers trailed 98-82 with 7 1/2 minutes left.

But when the Pelicans' crowd many of them wearing Bryant's No. 24 Laker jersey, chanted "We want Kobe," Bryant jumped up from the bench a few seconds later to roaring ovation and came back in for three more cameo minutes.

Even though he missed his last two shots, the fans showered Bryant with unabashed affection as he left, pointing his right arm to the rafters and pounding his heart with his hand, for the final time with 4:15 left.

"I try to be a little emotionally detached, but there's (only) three games left," Bryant said. What am I saving it for? We got a whole day off tomorrow. We'll be in Houston and I'll play roughly the same amount of minutes (on Sunday) as I played tonight. It's not going to hurt to get up and go out there for two minutes. My body's stiff and completely locked up, but it?s the right thing to do at this point."

For someone who has spent most of his NBA career as the road villain, Bryant says he is amazed at the bravos he's receiving as he exits stage right.

"It's been amazing," Bryant said. "I seriously couldn't have asked for anything else, for anything more. It's been unbelievable to have these reactions, to be able to experience this love. It's crazy."

The Pelicans (30-49) were led by Alexis Ajinca, who scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, his 12th career double-double.

"It's a home game, and seeing the whole stadium is in gold and purple is kind of annoying," Ajinca said. "So it gets you going. (Kobe's) still a great legend and now he's leaving the game, but at the end of the day, this is still our home."

But the game still belonged to Bryant.

Scott knows the end of an era has arrived, and the Lakers have never been as low as they are right now. Even though rookie D'Angelo Russell scored a game-high 32 points and second-year guard Jordan Clarkson added 26, he saw a weak-shooting Pelicans team knock down 53 percent of their shots, including 10 of 22 from 3-point range.

"They both shot the ball very well," Scott said. "Other than that, defensively they were both awful."

Bryant put on a show in the first quarter, dropping in three jumpers from long range and twirling his right wrist in the air after the second. Bryant scored 11 of the Lakers' first 16 points.

"Kobe was being Kobe for a while there," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said.

But the Pelicans held the Lakers to 31.7 percent shooting in the first half and 42 percent for the game. Ajinca had a double-double in the first two quarters with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The Pelicans played a video tribute to Bryant in between the first and second quarters, and Bryant was greeted with a standing ovation. Bryant acknowledged the tribute by walking onto the court and raising his right arm.

Bryant said as he approaches his last three games Sunday in Houston, Monday in Oklahoma City and Wednesday at home against Utah, he will try to remain as placid as possible.

But that may not happen. Has he thought what he will feel like going into his final game.

"It's kind of tough to imagine," Bryant said. "It's tough to really think about. I'll really try not to think about it too much and try to be as basic as possible. But I've never been so excited in my life to start a road trip. It's strange because it's like the last time, the last trip. It's good."

NOTES: Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said he measures Kobe Bryant's greatness by his unsurpassed competitiveness and work ethic. "You see him working out in the summer in July, when everybody else is probably vacationing, but that's what drives him," Gentry said. "He truly wanted to be the best player that ever put on a uniform, and, to me, he did everything he possibly could to get there." ... Gentry said New Orleans F Ryan Anderson (groin) likely will miss the rest of the season. ... Lakers coach Byron Scott said rookie PG D'Angelo Russell, who has struggled offensively recently, needs to get stronger in the offseason. "His upside is so great for him," Scott said. "He's got to work on his lower body. He's definitely got to look at film and learn that position."