Jackson Says Bryant Was ‘Out of Line’

It’s the same old thing for the Lakers, which wouldn’t be news, except some Lakers, including Coach Phil Jackson, believed Kobe Bryant had moved past this.

In his last two games, Bryant took 67 shots. The 34 and 33 attempts were his most this season. He made 27 of them.

After running through mostly mediocre competition in winning eight of nine games and returning to the top of the Pacific Division, the Lakers lost Friday night to San Antonio in a game that might have confirmed their born-again composure.

Instead, Shaquille O’Neal took five shots in the fourth quarter and overtime, and Bryant took 11, and the Lakers lost, 93-89.

“Kobe was out of line [Friday] night,” Jackson said. “He was out of line.”

Bryant, still suffering from what appears to be a viral infection, did not practice Saturday morning.

After playing 44 minutes Friday night, he took intravenous fluids. He awoke Saturday with a sore throat, muscle aches and general malaise, and he was advised to stay home, rest and force fluids.

If Bryant is unable to attend today’s shoot-around, Jackson said he would consider not playing him tonight against Seattle. Laker officials expect Bryant to be well enough for both.

It hasn’t been an easy week for Jackson, distressed first by Isaiah “J.R.” Rider’s five-game suspension, and then by Bryant’s sudden determination to shoot through double-teams and charge into triple-teams again. Bryant committed two critical turnovers in Friday’s overtime, forcing his offense while teammates stood open.

It also has been an unusual few weeks for the elegant Bryant, who gamely has played through injuries to both ankles and, then, this illness. But he tangled with Vince Carter on Wednesday night, when he launched 34 shots and made 11, and then continued launching ill-conceived shots against the Spurs.

“He has not been in a position to practice with us,” Jackson said. “We were hopeful he’d come out and find a rhythm to play the game with. He again had a bad [first] half [shooting three for 13] and, then, when he did get going in the second half, he extended a little beyond his range. It just takes other people out of the offense. The ball doesn’t move. As a consequence, guys lose faith in their execution skills and their own value on the team. We get out of whack.”

Said O’Neal of the loss to the Spurs: “It’s very discouraging. We made a lot of silly mistakes. Everybody has to be involved the whole game, not for just 36 minutes. We’re not going to win with him getting 38, me getting 33 and nobody else in double figures. It’s going to be hard for us to win like that.”

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Laker assistant Tex Winter was announced as the recipient of the Naismith Men’s Outstanding Contribution to Basketball Award, given annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. A USC graduate, Winter has coached Division I or professional basketball every year since 1947. . . . Derek Fisher probably will come off the injured list after Monday’s practice.

TONIGHT

vs. Seattle

6:30, Fox Sports Net

* Site--Staples Center.

* Radio--KLAC (570).

* Records--Lakers 41-20, SuperSonics 31-33.

* Record vs. SuperSonics--0-3.

* Update--The Lakers haven’t lost four games in a season series since 1994-95, when Phoenix beat them in four of five games. They haven’t been swept in a series of at least four games since the 1993-94 season, when Golden State, Seattle, Portland and San Antonio all did it. The Lakers were 33-49 that season.* Tickets--(800) 462-2849.