Lakers Feeling 18 Again

This was a test. A sirens-blaring, heart-racing test. Still, only a test.

But, in the event of an actual playoff emergency--something very similar to the all-out attack lobbed at them by the Sacramento Kings on Sunday--the Lakers now know that Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal can scoop them up and carry them to a high place.

For safety. And possibly, for a championship.

With more than a winning streak in jeopardy, Bryant and O’Neal were a two-man terror, combining to score 79 points and grab 30 rebounds while lifting the Lakers to a come-from-behind, 109-106 victory over the Kings before 18,997 at Staples Center.

O’Neal finished with 39 points and 20 rebounds, and Bryant had a career-high 40 points, added to 10 rebounds and eight assists.

“Shaq has played like an MVP all year--Kobe joined him tonight for a game,” said Laker forward Rick Fox, who pitched in with tough defensive play in the fourth quarter.

“It’s good to know you have two guys, one who’s shooting for the MVP this year, and the other will eventually win one probably down the road.”

It was the Lakers’ 18th consecutive victory, raised their NBA-best record to 52-11, and possibly was the most scintillating game so far of this very scintillating season.

They trailed by 16 at one point in the third quarter, raced to their first lead midway through the fourth, then took every big hit Sacramento landed and fired back themselves.

Along with the Bryant-O’Neal theatrics, the Lakers held the Kings to seven baskets (and 31.8% shooting) in the fourth quarter, outscoring Sacramento, 35-20.

“I think this performance was one of our better performances,” said a very-pleased looking Coach Phil Jackson. “We’ve had some good performances. . . . some gutsy performances and defensive strangulations out there.

“But this one had to be an offensive and a defensive performance at the end of the game. I think we’re playing at a top level right now.”

For a while, it seemed like Bryant and O’Neal would and could score every point; and for a long while, they had to.

With Glen Rice having an off night (three for 11, six points and struggling on defense), the scoring burden fell upon the titanic two, and they delivered.

It was the first time two Lakers scored 35 or more in a game since Gail Goodrich scored 36 and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 35 on March 5, 1976.

In the fourth, they scored a combined 27 points, and, until Derek Fisher made a free throw with 1.7 seconds left to play, they scored 25 consecutive Laker points in the period.

“It was pretty cool,” Bryant said.

The Lakers had piled up their winning streak, until Sunday, mostly by outclassing everybody they faced, and cruising in the fourth quarter with a comfy double-digit lead.

But Sunday, Sacramento raced ahead early, led by Jason Williams’ daring and passing and Chris Webber’s inside-outside combination.

The Lakers had lost three of their previous meetings to the high-speed Kings.

“We just kept saying, ‘Play through it, just play the game, it’ll come back to you; play ball,’ ” Jackson said.

“And they found a way. There was not a whole lot of time left when we had to turn the corner in this game.”

Finally, a 17-5 run to start the fourth tied the score, 91-91, with 6:17 to play, and the Lakers took their first lead on the next possession.

The Kings tied the score one last time, at 100-100, on Predrag Stojakovic’s jumper with 1:21 left.

But Bryant found O’Neal for a lay-up on the next possession, O’Neal blocked Stojakovic’s floater, then Webber missed a three-point attempt.

“Sometimes you come out as hot as they were in the first three quarters,” said Laker forward Robert Horry, who had 11 points and defended Webber throughout the fourth, “and you use up all your ammo before you have a chance to finish the game out.”

Afterward, as the Lakers hurried to make their plane for tonight’s game in Denver, the players could tell that Jackson was as pleased by this victory--rallying back in the face of a hot team--as any all year.

“It was a challenge,” Fox said. “We’ve been challenged very rarely recently, and I think it told him a little bit about our ability to find a way to win.

“Because that’s the playoffs; you’re going to find situations where it doesn’t go as well, where you’re not up by 10 most of the game.

“And you better have something deep down inside.”

STREAKS AND BEYOND

*

LONGEST NBA WINNING STREAKS

Longest winning streaks

in NBA history:

33--LAKERS

Nov. 5, 1971-Jan. 7, 1972

20--WASHINGTON

March 13-Dec. 4, 1948*

20--MILWAUKEE

Feb. 6-March 8, 1971

18--LAKERS

Feb. 4, 2000-current

18--ROCHESTER

Feb. 17-Nov. 11, 1950*

18--PHILADELPHIA

March 3-Nov. 4, 1966*

18--NEW YORK

Oct. 24-Nov. 28, 1969

18--BOSTON

Feb. 24-March 26, 1982

18--CHICAGO

Dec. 29, 1995-Feb. 2, 1996

*Over two seasons

*

THE STREAK

Score and opponent’s field-goal percentage in each game:

Opponent Score (Pct.)

1. Utah: 113-67 (.296)

2. Denver: 106-98 (.419)

3. Minnesota : 114-81 (.341)

4. at Chicago: 88-76 (.377)

5. at Charlotte: 92-85 (.416)

6. at Orlando: 107-99, OT (.454)

7. at Phila.: 87-84 (.388)

8. at New Jersey: 97-89 (.436)

9. at Cleveland: 116-98 (.468)

10. Boston : 109-96 (.416)

11. Houston : 101-85 (.358)

12. at Portland: 90-87 (.404)

13. Vancouver: 103-91 (.447)

14. Indiana: 107-92 (.395)

15. Miami: 93-80 (.417)

16. Clippers: 123-103 (.409)

17. at Golden St.: 109-92 (.427)

18. Sacramento: 109-106 (.482)

*

THIS SEASON’S STREAKS

18: Feb. 4-current

16: Dec. 11-Jan. 12

7: Nov. 24-Dec. 7