Kobe Gives Lakers Another Electrifying Performance

They showed shots of Kobe Bryant sitting on the Laker bench in Utah with gizmos attached to his ailing knee while he took a break -- before returning to the floor to give the team as much as he could.

Meanwhile, back here at Staples Center, reporters were handed a Clipper press release indicating Quentin Richardson would not dress for the game against Milwaukee because he was suffering from a “common cold.”

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THERE WILL be some who push Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett for MVP consideration, but Laker fans, who have hung on their team’s fight to regain championship form, will have Kobe’s season-saving performances the last two nights to fend off most any argument.

Kobe, doing it without Shaquille O’Neal and on one leg at times, pushed himself into prime-time Michael Jordan territory, scoring 92 points while leading the Lakers to back-to-back wins over Western Conference opponents. (I’d understand if Richardson called in sick so he could stay home and watch Kobe hit 40 again -- it looks like that’s what many of the Clipper fans did too.)

There’s no question -- we’re all watching something special right now.

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SOMEONE WANTED to know who’s bigger in sports: Kobe or Tiger Woods? “He has me beat by a long shot,” Kobe said. “I got a lot of catching up to do.”

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THE WAY Mark Madsen has played the last two nights, I have two words for O’Neal: Wally Pipp.

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Lamar Odom said the Clippers are still playing hard. “Remember you are always auditioning for another team,” Odom said.

You are when you’re playing for the Clippers. (Odom made a pitch to owner Donald Sterling on Wednesday to keep the team together; I’m not sure Sterling understood what he was talking about.)

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THE DAY UCLA’s new athletic director fired football coach Bob Toledo, it became apparent to most everyone the basketball coach was next.

Imagine waking up each day listening to everyone insist you’re going to be fired. How might you react to the endless questions about what you think of such a thing?

UCLA’s Steve Lavin has responded with characteristic humor -- the same approach employed when word leaked Rick Pitino had been contacted as a potential replacement earlier in his tenure.

This week he went to the gallows’ humor, naming his own potential replacements, and in his own way keeping the spotlight on his predictable plight rather than heaping more pressure on his overmatched players.

Some might suggest he has quit on his team, which comes pretty darn close to piling on and kicking a guy when he’s down.

But what makes that even more confounding is the fact some in the media want it both ways: Tell us how you really feel, and if you don’t do that, we’re going to mock you for ignoring the obvious.

Lavin deserves praise for setting an example on how to handle adversity with class and keeping things in perspective. It’s what you would want from an educator working in a college environment.

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I’M STILL trying to picture this “[Kevin Brown’ came in and gave me a hug,” Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said.

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THE DODGERS reported that Darren Dreifort threw to several batters, including teammate Dave Roberts. “I just loved seeing him on the mound facing hitters,” Roberts said. “That brought a smile to my face.” Why should he be any different than every other hitter who faces Dreifort?

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NEW SCOREBOARDS are being built in the walls in right and left field in Dodger Stadium, I presume so fans can keep an eye on how the Angels are doing.

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AFTER THE Laker victory over Houston, Yao Ming delivered a comedy routine through an interpreter. Asked if he was upset he didn’t get the chance to play against Shaq again, he said, “No. Hopefully next time Kobe won’t play.”

Asked about the facial dunk Kobe gave him, he said, “Please don’t ask such a humiliating thing in front of my face.” Asked if he noticed any of the movie stars seated around the court such as Jack Nicholson, he said, “No.”

A few minutes later, when asked if the ref had done a poor job by sticking him with his sixth foul, he said, “Like I said, there were a lot of movie stars here.”

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THURSDAY WAS the last day at work for Ron Weiner, the pro at Cheviot Hills Rancho Park Golf Course since 1965, and looking back on all those years he said former President Clinton was probably the most famous golfer to play the course. “I never saw Pope John Paul here,” he said.

“Two burly guys came to me and said, ‘you don’t play, but you’ve got to go around and help the president while he plays,’ ” Weiner said. “On the first hole he hit a beautiful shot. I had him hit a nine iron next, and moved a step forward after he hit it. Another ball went whizzing by my head, and I said, ‘uh-oh, we got ourselves a mulligan player.’ He was hitting six balls a hole -- it was a mess.”

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SPORTS ILLUSTRATED’S swimsuit issue has hit the stands, and for those who think its time might have passed, SI President Bruce Hallett, appearing on CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” said, “It’s a scary part of the whole SI franchise when you think about how big it is as a business. It’s about a $50-million business today.” Tennis player Serena Williams appears in a two-piece white bathing suit in the magazine -- or so I’m told.

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TODAY’S LAST word comes in e-mail from Mike Serrano:

“I hate you so much.”

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

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T.J. Simers can be reached at t.j.simers@latimes.com.