Lakers Become Big Shots

Ultimately, it came down to Kobe.

Again.

It was Kobe Bryant who grabbed a crucial rebound with 30 seconds to play and his Lakers clinging to a three-point lead Thursday night against the Seattle SuperSonics at KeyArena.

It was Bryant who raced down the left side, squeezed through two defenders and reached back for a fancy spin move that gave the Lakers two points and some breathing room and took the breath away from the crowd of 17,072.

It was Bryant who came down with the final, game-clinching rebound with 10 seconds to play, absorbed a foul and made the two free throws that assured a 92-87 Laker victory.

But anyone who thinks that, in the absence of injured center Shaquille O’Neal, Bryant is single-handedly keeping the Lakers on course for a shot at a third straight championship just hasn’t been paying attention.

Yes, Bryant was within three rebounds of his second consecutive triple-double Thursday night with 23 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.

And yes, Bryant has 25 assists in his last two games. But he wouldn’t have them if his teammates weren’t converting the baskets.

And Thursday night, they again responded to the emotional challenge thrown out by Bryant.

Contributors included:

Derek Fisher. He came off the bench and made only three of nine shots from the floor. But without two of those baskets, the outcome might have been different. With the Lakers down by six midway through the fourth quarter, Fisher sank a pair of three-pointers

Devean George, who also made a pair of three-pointers in the fourth quarter when the Lakers made five of six overall from beyond the arc. George also pulled down eight rebounds to tie for team-high honors.

Rick Fox, who also had eight rebounds along with 13 points.

Robert Horry, who shook off the effects of a tough hit by Desmond Mason that rattled his teeth and bloodied his lip to make two big fourth-quarter jumpers, one a three-pointer.

But the star of Thursday night’s highlight reel for the Lakers was still Bryant.

“At the end of the game, he took it upon himself,” Laker Coach Phil Jackson said. “In the fourth quarter, we opened up the floor to get him some space.”

Along with everything else he was doing, Bryant also found time to keep a hand in the face of Seattle offensive leader Gary Payton. Payton was only eight of 19 from the floor, finishing with 17 points.

The SuperSonics made a run in the third quarter, their speed reducing the Lakers to bystanders.

“They were just running it down our throats,” Jackson said.

But it didn’t last.

“We slowed them down,” said forward Samaki Walker, “got into our offense and got things done.”

No one struggled more than Laker forward Mark Madsen. He bobbled a pass from Bryant early in the first quarter and things went downhill from there. Madsen missed several shots under the basket, finishing two for seven from the floor.

“I told him,” Jackson said, “that he had two points and he should have had eight.”

Jackson asked Bryant if he wanted to come out in the fourth quarter.

No way, Jackson was told.

Brent Barry led Seattle with 21 points on a night when the SuperSonics dropped to 25-25.

But Seattle lost more than a game.

With 7.8 seconds left in the first half, Seattle forward Vin Baker, driving toward the basket, stepped on the foot of the Lakers’ Stanislav Medvedenko and went down in obvious pain, clutching the toes on his left foot as he rolled out of bounds.

Baker had to be helped off the court, adding even more uncertainty about Baker’s future in Seattle.

Now in his ninth season, Baker, 30, has been at the center of SuperSonic trade speculation with the trading deadline only one week away. Baker earns makes an average of $13.5 million annually through the 2005-06 season.

It was later determined that he dislocated three toes.

But the SuperSonics will get no sympathy from the Lakers, who are learning how to thrive, however temporarily, without O’Neal.

“Kobe knows that if he plays hard,” Horry said, “he makes it easier for us. He’s being the Laker star, making the people around him better.”