Lakers Have a Rested Interest

The Lakers had a nice, relaxing spring split-squad game on Wednesday.

Their “A” team hit about 20 home runs and knocked the Golden State Warriors to the showers; their “B” team got in some important innings and recorded a lot of the big outs.

And if the Lakers’ ho-hum 119-96 victory before 18,843 at Staples Center didn’t go down as a Grapefruit League exhibition, it sure played like one.

“We need games like this just to rest,” said Kobe Bryant, who had a 18 points in 28 minutes. “Just to rest; kick our legs up.”

It also allowed the starters to watch the second-unit players kick up a scare in the fourth, when Warriors closed to gap to only 11.

Coach Phil Jackson said the reserves were either going to hold onto the lead or lose it: He was not going to move the starters back in at that late point.

“I would’ve taken a loss,” Jackson said. “I do that once in a while . . . Their game to win or lose. They’ve got a lead, they’ve got to go out there and play it.”

The Lakers’ fourth victory in a row (and 23rd in 24 games), combined with Portland’s home loss to the Detroit Pistons, increased the Lakers’ lead in the Pacific Division to a season-high six games with only 13 left to play.

“Well, we have to win six more games is basically what I feel,” Jackson said, “and then we’ll take care of business. Our goal is to win those six games and then go from there. And we’re close.”

Said Bryant of Portland’s tumble: “We’re a little shocked with the losses that they’re taking.”

The Lakers raised their record to an NBA-best 57-12 and scored their 11th victory in a row at Staples, dating back to their Jan. 22 loss to Portland.

Said Glen Rice, who scored 17 points in 21 minutes but said his left Achilles’ tendon acted up a little again: “It gives a lot of guys a chance to get some rest and also it gives our bench an opportunity to get in there and work on things they’ve got to do in order to cover our backs.”

Shaquille O’Neal scored 22 points and did not play in either the second or fourth quarters.

In the first and third quarters, the Laker starters blasted the Warriors by a combined score of 68-46, easily enough room for the second-teamers, who played almost the entire second and fourth quarters.

From there, the most significant statistics were the minute totals of the Laker mainstays:

O’Neal, 23. Rice, 21. A.C. Green, 24. Ron Harper, 22.

Much of the Lakers’ focus was on shutting down Golden State second-year guard Larry Hughes, who scorched them for 41 points in an earlier Laker victory at Oakland.

Bryant, who did not hide his disdain for the subject before the game, more than met the call on Thursday, allowing Hughes only an inconsequential 26.

“When you have a guy like that coming out scoring 40-something points against you, the concentration level is definitely up a great deal more,” Rice said. “We can’t have anyone scoring that many points on us, and and we weren’t going to allow it tonight.”

Said Jackson: “Yeah, [Bryant] played great defense. His defense was great on Hughes for the first 14 minutes.”

The only glimmer of Warrior hope came midway through the fourth quarter, when the Laker reserves gave up a run of points that closed the lead to 96-85 with eight minutes left.

But Brian Shaw made a jumper and Robert Horry made two free throws, and the lead was back up to 100-85 with 6:56 left to play.

Rick Fox and Shaw led the “B” team with 14 points, Horry had nine points and eight rebounds, and, before fouling out, Travis Knight had a team-high 10 rebounds--only the second time in the team’s last 25 games that O’Neal has not led in that category.

Did Jackson make an emphasis to his team, and to Bryant especially, that they needed to stop Hughes this time?

“Didn’t have to--it’ll be made,” Jackson said before the game.

“Actually, it’s going to be a really big challenge for [Bryant], knowing how he feels about it. There’ll be something there for him to get his energy going for this game.

“And that’s the kind of thing that we really need in this game, to go out and really play well, we need to have something that’ll challenge us.”

From the start of the game, Bryant came out with high energy and the desire to hound Hughes at every moment.

As the Lakers’ first team converted on just about every offensive possession (17 of 26 in a 37-point first quarter, including nine in a row at one point), Bryant was all over Hughes, blocking two of his shots and scoring 14 points of his own in the first half.

Hughes was only four for 14 shooting in the half, for 12 hard-fought points, and was not a factor even when the Laker reserves played almost the entire second quarter.

In the first half alone, as the Lakers built a 31-point lead, Bryant had the 14 points and five rebounds in only 14 minutes.

The second unit generally held its own against the Warriors, getting to halftime with a 65-45 lead.

*

SAN ANTONIO: 103

CLIPPERS: 78

Duncan looks healthy with 30 points, and reserves Walker and Daniels contribute to easy victory.

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