Challenge Is More Than Stuff of Kings

After Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant had left the locker room to a few stragglers late Thursday night, Rick Fox made an observation that might chill Laker fans.

Maybe, he said, this wasn’t about the Lakers and the Sacramento Kings anymore.

“Who’s to say we see each other?” he said.

“There’s a couple other teams out there that could create problems for both of us.”

So, as the Lakers sighed and headed off for another cross-country trip, a two-point loss to the Kings at Staples Center so fresh they could still see Mike Bibby dancing, along came a glimpse of the real distance they have to travel.

With 26 games to play, the Lakers are six losses behind the Kings, who outplayed the Lakers despite the absence of three of their best six players. The Lakers are waiting on Karl Malone, but three superstars in four seemed enough to defend themselves with.

Fox, however, still believes the Kings can be caught, even though the Laker schedule is rigorous.

“The Kings are going to make a huge adjustment when [Chris] Webber gets back,” he said. “Webber’s never been second fiddle. At the same time, Vlade [Divac] is not getting any younger, though he’s played really well of late.”

Fox predicted it would be April before anyone knows if Webber can adjust to Peja Stojakovic’s game, which is where the Kings’ offense has gone most of the season.

Also, he said, “This is the time when fatigue sets in. That team over there has a lot of miles on their legs with nothing to show for it.”

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Fox once had methods of disrupting Stojakovic, none of which worked Thursday, when Stojakovic dropped 37 on the Lakers, 23 in the second half.

“I see ... the rest of the league has created a monster in that kid Peja,” Fox said afterward. “I’ll have to go back to the lab.”

The difference?

“He makes his shots more often than before,” Fox said, “and from farther away.”

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TODAY

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Records -- Lakers 36-20; Wizards 18-38.

Record vs. Wizards -- 1-0.

Update -- The Lakers beat the Wizards, 120-99, on Nov. 26, when eight Lakers scored in double figures for the first time in six years. The Lakers have become decidedly less balanced since, with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal taking most of the scoring load. In the wake of sniping between Gilbert Arenas and Kwame Brown, the Wizards beat the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. Arenas had a triple-double and Brown had 15 points and 13 rebounds. The Lakers have won three of their last six games in Washington. Last season, Bryant scored 55 points against the Wizards in a win at Staples Center.