It’s Sundown, When Lakers Do Best Work

So what, the Phoenix Suns were lost. So what, they missed seven of every 10 shots. So what, Chris Dudley was ejected in the third quarter.

Wait. That was supposed to help the Suns.

The Lakers had played close with equally incapable teams in the two months they have defended their championship. They even lost a couple of those games.

So, when they beat the Suns, 115-78, Thursday night at America West Arena, and though Coach Phil Jackson wondered afterward, “I don’t know what was with Phoenix,” the Lakers took their largest victory of the season and decided they had just as much to do with it.

Kobe Bryant scored 38 points in 33 minutes. Shaquille O’Neal had 18 points and 11 rebounds. Starting power forward Horace Grant did not play because of back spasms, and still the Lakers pressed their size advantage with players such as Mark Madsen, who made his first start, Greg Foster and, yes, Slava Medvedenko, in his NBA debut.

After a nearly even first quarter, the Lakers outscored the Suns by 38 in the next three.

“That,” O’Neal said, “was one of the most complete games we’ve played all season. Now, if we can develop that type of consistency and play with that type of fire, we’ll be OK.”

The Suns lack a surly inside presence, a kind way of saying Dudley, Daniel Santiago and Tom Gugliotta had utterly no chance against O’Neal. Clifford Robinson, the Suns’ leading scorer, aggravated a bruised hip and played only 20 minutes.

So the brunt of the Sun offense consisted of their guards and small forwards throwing up 19-footers and then leaning in whichever direction they missed. Then, with their wrists cocked all pretty, they’d stand and watch the Lakers chase down the rebound and race off the other way. They shot 30.5% (29 for 95) from the field, 21.1% (four for 19) from the arc.

“We were kind of tentative and fearful, not really rising to the challenge of playing a good team,” Sun Coach Scott Skiles said. “The Lakers don’t have any respect for us.”

No wonder, really. The Lakers beat the Suns for the 17th time in 20 games, the last five in Phoenix. The Suns had never lost so badly in this arena, where the Gorilla mascot roams.

“They feel like they can beat us whenever they want to, and they do,” Skiles said. “We have a tendency to play scared against them, back on our heels on both ends. A good team like that can smell that and take it to you.”

Some of it had to be the Lakers, right? Bryant beat Jason Kidd most of the game, particularly on long turnaround jumpers, most ending with Kidd slapping his hands together in frustration. The league leader in assists, Kidd had three, and four turnovers.

“It’s important for us to establish some kind of killer instinct, to push a team down, get a big lead and to not only hold a big lead but to expand on it,” said Bryant, who did not play in the fourth quarter. “We have to have the know-how to do it on the road. You can want to do it all you want. You can have all the energy and the intensity you want. If you don’t know how to do it, you’re not going to get it done.”

The Lakers made 10 of 19 threes. Bryant, who scored at least 35 points for the 11th time in 31 games, made three of three. Robert Horry made two of four.

“We did the right thing,” Bryant said. “We got a big lead, we started pounding the ball inside, breaking them down, our defense played solid. I was able to get to the free-throw line, Shaq was able to get to the free-throw line [four for nine].”

Jackson said he wished the Lakers had gotten the ball more to O’Neal, who took 14 shots. O’Neal, who was sore from back spasms but able to play 35 minutes, said that was probably true, but had a hard time putting a damper on a 37-point victory. He shrugged.

“We won, so it doesn’t matter,” he said. “This league is all about winning. It’s not fair of me to say anything, so I won’t say anything. What matters is we won by [37].”

Bryant left the game with a four-inch gash across his forehead, and a longer scratch on his upper arm.

“Guys just want to scratch me. They want to hold me. Pathetic,” he said.

Bryant pushed his scoring average to 30 points. His offense appears more seamless than ever.

“It’s effortless,” Rick Fox said.

A couple of scars suggested otherwise. But, Bryant acknowledged it was one of those nights. “I was in the flow and I didn’t feel like anything they could do was going to stop me,” he said.

*

Clippers

Losing at

This Game

The Clippers fell behind by 22 points and made a late charge that cut the deficit to six, but ultimately lost at Dallas, 105-96, their ninth consecutive loss to the Mavericks. D3

*

Wizards

Suspend

Strickland

Point guard Rod Strickland was suspended for one game, culminating a three-day stretch in which he missed two practices and expressed his desire to play elsewhere. D4