Day at Movies Isn’t Much Fun

To celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 51-point game from the night before, the Lakers gathered in the film room Thursday morning, shook the air travel from their legs, and watched themselves get blown out by the Seattle SuperSonics.

Gone were Bryant’s 18 field goals in 35 attempts.

Gone was the highest point total by a Laker since Shaquille O’Neal dropped an easy 61 on the Clippers in March.

Gone too was the overtime loss to the dreadful Golden State Warriors. Instead, they viewed the highlights of SuperSonics 121, Lakers 88, every moment, from last week.

And so the 51 points were lost in the preparation for the next crack at it. The Lakers play the SuperSonics tonight at Staples Center.

Bryant, ever confident, sighed and smiled and said, “You know, I always wanted to win my first 50.”

He laughed, as if it were a joke.

“I’ll appreciate it a lot more when my career is said and done,” he said.

Coach Phil Jackson, who monitors Bryant’s on-court decisions, particularly in regard to shot selection, said he had no problem with Bryant’s offensive aggressiveness.

“We were in a situation where Kobe did make some passes and then said, ‘I better try to do this myself,’ ” Jackson said. “He got a little insecure about his teammates’ ability to help him. We’d just as soon not have someone score 51 and lose. That’s a wasted effort. But he did have a great, valiant effort out there.”

*

Bryant, on why Horace Grant missed the layup that might have defeated the Warriors: “Horace got hit by a stun gun.” . . . O’Neal is averaging 15 rebounds and 4.3 blocks in the last four games. He continues to manage the pain in his left ankle and Achilles’. . . . Ron Harper had 10 assists and 10 rebounds, both season highs, against the Warriors.

TONIGHT

vs. Seattle

7:30, Fox Sports Net

* Site--Staples Center

* Radio--KLAC (570)

* Records--Lakers 14-6, SuperSonics 9-11.

* Record vs. SuperSonics--0-1.

* Update--Seattle is 3-2 since Nate McMillan replaced Paul Westphal as coach. Gary Payton has led the team in scoring in 13 of the last 14 games.

* Tickets--(800) 462-2849.