Lakers' Combo Is Huge in Texas

By TIM BROWN

Dec. 22, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

HOUSTON —

It was about Kobe Bryant, about 45 easy points when the zone he was in was thicker than the drawls of the people groaning about somebody gahrdin’ that mayun.

And it was about the fourth quarter, about the Lakers closing out a mediocre team because of defensive effort and because they were just flat better.

Finally, this Laker victory was about Shaquille O’Neal holding off the Houston Rockets--from the free-throw line.

Angry or resolute or both and definitely bald because of it, O’Neal marched to the line nine times with the game in the balance and he made six, and the Lakers defeated the Rockets, 99-94, Thursday night at Compaq Center. Bryant made 20 of 26 shots and scored his season high in a regulation game. He had 51 against Golden State in overtime.

“I felt good,” Bryant said. “I was in a nice rhythm.”

O’Neal scored 25 points and took 12 rebounds. He killed the Rockets on defense in the fourth quarter. In all, he missed 15 of 22 free-throw attempts, and so has made only 24 of his last 83 over seven-plus games.

But, as the Lakers strolled away from their fourth consecutive victory, the last three on the road, the image was of a composed O’Neal, his stroke healing, his confidence coming with it.

“A lot of [the misses] were in and out,” O’Neal said. “So, I’ll just keep the faith. I know it can’t get any worse, so I’ll keep shooting.

“I know I can hit them. All it takes is one blow-out game and I know I’ll be back on track.”

From 90-90, O’Neal made four of his next eight free throws. Some spun funny. The four that missed hit the front rim pretty hard. A couple that went in rattled before falling. But, by the end of that, along with a running, 15-foot floater from Bryant, the Lakers led, 95-92. Bryant closed it with a 20-footer from the top and a fast-break dunk--on a pass from O’Neal.

At one point, Bryant walked to O’Neal and said, “Take your time. Knock it down. The shots are right there.”

So they were.

“It felt good to see him step up and knock them down,” Bryant said.

Laker Coach Phil Jackson had fretted about the Lakers’ fourth quarters on the road. He had worried about Bryant’s fourth quarters on the road. Like that, the Lakers had one of their more dynamic final periods of the season, and Bryant scored 13 of their 25 points. Out in front, getting high fives from Bryant, among others, O’Neal made some free throws and glared at the opposite bench.

“He basically came through,” Jackson said.

For now, they’ll take basically. They’ll take good enough. The alternative--O’Neal missed his last six free throws in Miami and his first six here--could be damaging. The Rockets put him on the line and he stood there and held his breath and beat them.

“I don’t know if the strategy backfired or if it was successful, I really can’t, you know, it’s kind of like a little of this a little of that, teeter-totter, on that thing,” Jackson said. “I wasn’t going to take him out. It was going to be good practice for [tonight]. He’s going to have plenty of situations [tonight] like it.”

The Lakers are in Dallas tonight. Coach Don Nelson loves to torture O’Neal at the line.

“My knick-knack injuries are starting to go away,” said O’Neal, nagged by ankle and heal injuries. “So, I’ll just try to keep my focus and get back on track. I will. I’ll do that. I have no worries.”

O’Neal pulled off his wool cap Thursday afternoon and revealed skin where hair had been. He had shaved his narrow beard too.

No big deal, except that weeks ago, when he began to let his hair grow so he might resemble his young son, Shareef, O’Neal said he would only recharge the razor if something angered him.

He wouldn’t divulge the motivation.

“It’ll just help me get my game back, that’s all,” he said.

It did wonders for Bryant’s. Rejuvenated by a day off and a lot of sleep, Bryant made his first 10 shots, scored 18 points in the first quarter and 26 in the first half. He had a couple of alley-oops, one on a half-court pass from Brian Shaw in the fourth quarter while running at top speed.

Bryant’s total was the most points against the Rockets since Michael Jordan also scored 45 against them in January 1998.

Houston Coach Rudy Tomjanovich tried Shandon Anderson straight up and a handful of other tactics on Bryant. He had no chance.

“Kobe Bryant is just too much,” Tomjanovich said. “He was amazing.”

Better, Jackson said.

“Kobe’s game is as good, if not better, than anyone else in the league right now,” he said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Bryant Over 40

Kobe Bryant’s career high before this season was 40 points against Sacramento on March 12, 2000, in the Lakers’ 109-106 home victory. Bryant has topped 40 four times this season, three times on the road, and the Lakers won three of the four games:

BT Pt Date Site Result 45 Dec. 21 at Houston Win 99-94 40 Dec. 17 at Toronto Win 104-101 51 Dec. 6 at Golden State Loss 125-122 (OT) 43 Dec. 1 vs. San Antonio Win 109-100

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