Bryant Doesn’t Approach Malone

Karl Malone was terrific Saturday night, Kobe Bryant was invisible, and there were no signs of discussion. So much for the reunion.

When last seen together, Bryant was waving off Malone’s pick at the All-Star game, sending many on the Western Conference team into various forms of frustration in the locker room and prompting Malone to comment that those kinds of plays would lead him to consider whether that would be his last such contest. He didn’t single out Bryant by name, but the implication was clear, that the Jazz forward would rather stay home than be made to feel as though he was getting in the way.

Saturday, they met again as Utah beat the Lakers in Salt Lake City. Without any plans for a more personal meeting.

Bryant, for one, didn’t put it on the agenda because he wasn’t bothered by the critique of his one-on-one style.

“That was his opinion,” the Laker swingman said. “I found it kind of funny. It didn’t bother me.

“I’m sure he did the same things when he was growing up. Maybe not in an All-Star game, but in the regular season, when he felt the need to prove himself. He expressed his opinion and that’s it.”

TONIGHT

vs.

Washington

6:30

Fox Sports

West

Site--Great Western Forum.

Radio--KLAC (570), KWKW (1330).

Records--Lakers 50-20, Wizards 36-35.

Record vs. Wizards--0-1.

Update--The Lakers have won eight in a row at home, by an average of 14.8 points. Another victory tonight marks their best run at the Forum since the first half of last season.