Horry Returns and Goes with the Flow

Robert Horry returned to the starting lineup Sunday night and, he insisted, the flow.

There was considerable supporting evidence, namely the 12 points, three rebounds and three assists in the first quarter against the Washington Bullets.

He finished with 13, eight and three, respectively, and reported only mild pain, but most importantly for the Lakers said the two-game layoff because of the sprained left ankle won’t be a setback in his transition to a new team.

“Not really,” Horry said after his seventh game as a Laker. “I don’t think so. Even though I hated to miss those two, I’m happy we won and I don’t even worry about it.”

Kobe Bryant played 24 minutes. He had 13 points in the 129-99 rout, but made only two of nine shots, compensating by going nine for nine from the line.

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Amid an attempt by Del Harris to emphasize three-pointers and with air coverage needed to keep defenses honest against collapsing on Shaquille O’Neal, the Lakers’ most accurate weapon from behind the arc is having trouble getting shots anywhere.

Byron Scott, among the three-point leaders for much of the first half of the season before recently dropping out of the top 10, has managed only 18 field goals the last six games, and six of the attempts came during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s blowout against the Bullets.

But, the veteran guard said, it’s more of a temporary trend than an indication of a decreased role with the emergence of Bryant.

“Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t,” Scott said. “I don’t worry about it. As long as we’re winning, no big deal.”