Just One of Those Nights for Bryant

For 20 minutes after another loss to a last-place team, the Lakers’ third such humiliation in three weeks, Kobe Bryant sat at his locker in full uniform, his chin on his chest, his hands on his legs.

Bryant missed three free throws Saturday night, one with 7.5 seconds left in the overtime. He also missed all six field-goal attempts, and the Lakers shot one for 11, in the overtime.

The Chicago Bulls won only their seventh game, 106-104, at United Center.

It was the Lakers’ seventh game in seven cities over 11 days, and their fifth on a trip Coach Phil Jackson called their “Great Lakes Tour.”

The Lakers played tired and flawed. For going on two weeks they felt as though they’d awoken in a new bed every day. That pretty much killed their motor skills against the young and energetic Bulls, and then they lost Shaquille O’Neal to ejection for throwing a punch at Bull center Brad Miller.

For a good team, maybe a great one, the Lakers are capable of remarkable failure.

They had a 17-point lead in the second quarter at 40-23 that quickly got away.

“Those ... free throws,” Bryant said. “Man. Ugly. Ugly. I wish I could get them back, you know?

“I don’t know. Rattled in and came out. I wish I could get it back, take it back, but I can’t. So I’m going to have to suck it up, take it on the chin, let them celebrate, throw down the confetti or whatever.”

Derek Fisher scored a career-high 28 points and Bryant had 26. Ron Mercer had 28 for the Bulls and Tyson Chandler, their rookie from Dominguez High, had 12 points, , two of them--and two rebounds--in overtime.

Since Dec. 21, the Lakers have lost to the Memphis Grizzlies, last in the Midwest Division, Golden State Warriors, last in the Pacific Division, and the Bulls, last in the Central, all on the road.

The Miami Heat, last in the Atlantic Division, will be at Staples Center on Wednesday night.