Regular-Season Results

The Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers split their four games in the regular season:

* Nov. 6 at Rose Garden, Trail Blazers 97, Lakers 82: In the Lakers’ first loss of the season, Kobe Bryant was out because of a broken hand and Shaquille O’Neal was thrown out early in the fourth quarter after retaliating against Jermaine O’Neal for what the Laker center considered overly rough intentional fouls. Scottie Pippen controlled the action with 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

* Dec. 3 at Staples Center, Lakers 93, Trail Blazers 80: Bryant’s second game back from the injury was a breakthrough--he scored 23 points and blocked Pippen’s layup to halt a late Portland rally. The Lakers held Portland to only 34.2% field-goal shooting.

* Jan. 22 at Staples Center, Trail Blazers 95, Lakers 91: This was the Lakers’ first home loss with both Bryant and O’Neal in the lineup, triggered by Bryant’s foul trouble and O’Neal’s offensive struggles against the Trail Blazers’ collapsing defense. O’Neal finished with only 17 points, and was off the floor (after Bryant had fouled out) in the last Laker possession, when Derek Fisher missed a potential game-tying shot.

* Feb. 29 at Rose Garden, Lakers 90, Trail Blazers 87: With both teams knowing that the game would probably determine the Pacific Division champion and No. 1 seeding throughout the playoffs, the Laker defense set the tone, O’Neal made nine of 13 free throws, and every Portland regular shot less than 50%.