Bryant Is a Big Shot for Lakers

Kobe Bryant was about 25 feet out on the right side when the shot, a three-pointer, dropped through. It was the first big basket in the second consecutive game in which he would make the big plays in a Laker victory, this time a 119-109 decision over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.

He turned and headed back to play defense. He got near midcourt, balled his right hand into a fist and put it over his heart.

And twisted.

“I just wanted to win,” Bryant said later of his emotions, downplaying the pantomime of the dagger going into the Suns, even though 8:32 still remained and the Lakers led by only six points.

So it wasn’t a matter of feeling at that time as if he could score at will?

“No,” Bryant said, smiling, “I definitely had that sense.”

He has had it the last two games, this one before a capacity 19,023 at America West Arena that also included the scare of Shaquille O’Neal aggravating his strained abdominal muscle.

Monday, against the Orlando Magic, Bryant made the biggest play with a tip-in off a missed free throw by Robert Horry, impressive under any light, but especially because Bryant was drifting away from the ball and then reached back with his off hand. Two free throws with 7.7 seconds left then sealed the victory.

Wednesday, the daggers came from more common Bryant angles. Which is to say, most everywhere on the court when he starts with the ball. That came as part of a fourth quarter in which he scored 10 points, part of a second half in which he would score 18 of his 25 points, bettered only by the 26 from O’Neal.

The three-pointer--with a twist.

The penetration that resulted in a foul and one free throw.

The hanging five-footer in the lane, his third score in as many possessions, making for a 92-83 cushion.

When Eddie Jones made a three-pointer, the Lakers had a 9-0 run to gain control for good at 95-83 with 6:43 left in what would tie for their biggest recovery of the season, from 16 points down, just like in the opener against the Utah Jazz. The turnaround was so complete, the Lakers went ahead by 16 points in the fourth.

“I don’t want to take anything away from anyone,” Coach Del Harris said. “It was a huge team effort. But Kobe was exceptional.”

On the other hand, the sight of O’Neal wincing as he jogged downcourt after a dunk with 7:59 remaining in the second quarter, and then of him rubbing the area just above the groin while positioning himself on defense, was a reminder the Lakers didn’t need in the first place as to the fragility of the injury.

They knew when he returned Jan. 2 after six weeks out that there was no guarantee this time either that their all-star center would last through the season.

Before this incident, though, the recovery had pretty much gone according to plan. The muscle still bothered O’Neal, but nothing to an unexpected degree. He recently sat out two practices, but by all accounts only out of a desire to reduce wear on the stomach and not out of necessity. In short, he wasn’t hurting any more than he should have been.

And his game certainly was not suffering--29.8 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.56 blocks in the relatively low 33.8 minutes in the first nine games back, heading into Wednesday. He played 42 minutes Monday against Orlando, recording 35 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks.

But with 6:22 remaining in the second quarter, there he was, heading to the bench, and, after a brief stay, to the locker room. Physical therapist Alex McKechnie, who developed a relationship with O’Neal when the player went to Vancouver for a second opinion and has been with the team for about the past three weeks, put O’Neal through a series of tests and determined the relapse was not serious.

“I knew it was a minor thing,” O’Neal said.

Minor enough that he was able to not only make it back from the locker room before the end of the first half, but to check in with 1:43 still to play, and then play 34 minutes in all. But it wasn’t minor enough to completely erase any concerns.