Laker Winning Streak Is Still a Passing Phase

Meanwhile, back in the frigid, unforgiving Midwest ...

The Lakers were supposed to be struggling at the halfway point of a brutal six-game trip, collecting losses as furiously as the latest snowfall, pinwheeling their arms fruitlessly on the way to the bottom of the Pacific Division.

Then came the latest surprise, a 93-80 victory over the Chicago Bulls, another testimony to team basketball and another chapter unveiled of a briskly improving team Friday at United Center.

The Lakers have won four consecutive games, something not achieved since Derek Fisher was making miracle shots in the 2004 playoffs. And they are 3-0 on a trip that was expected to be a 2-4 exercise, at best.

Near the end of it all Friday night, as Kobe Bryant watched patiently from the bench, Brian Cook was making reverse layups, Devean George was forcing turnovers and fighting for rebounds, and Luke Walton was logging assist after assist.

On top of it, the Lakers continued their recent team-sharing theme, getting assists on 27 of their 38 field goals.

Coach Phil Jackson, also in a giving mood on the trip, undertook his annual practice of handing out books to each Laker, among the titles Sun-Tzu’s “The Art of War” (for Lamar Odom) and “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking” (for Bryant).

It was the art of passing that captured the night for the Lakers.

“It’s moving the basketball rather than holding it,” Jackson said. “Kobe’s getting assists and that’s important too. I think that sets a tone for us.”

Bryant wasn’t at his best -- 23 points on nine-for-21 shooting -- and he sat out the first 7:12 of the fourth quarter as the second unit kept the Lakers safely ahead. But he had nine rebounds and eight assists and made two shots in the final two minutes that extended the Laker lead to beyond-catchable range.

“I don’t have to take 28, 30 shots,” he said. “There’s no need. Defenses are collapsing on me and we’re doing a great job spacing the floor. [The other Lakers are] figuring out areas where they have to get to play off me and we’re making defenses pay.”

Odom strung together another complete game in front of Scottie Pippen, who had his number retired by the Bulls in a halftime ceremony. Odom had 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and continued to show that, on some nights, he very well could play like Pippen, as Jackson hoped.

All five Laker starters scored in double figures, even Chris Mihm, who had 10 points despite the usual foul trouble. Cook, back in the starting lineup after Sasha Vujacic was inserted there for two games, had 16 points, making eight of 11 shots.

Just as suddenly, the big picture might not look so bleak.

“I thought we’d have a slow start,” Jackson said. “We have a lot of travel time in the early part of the season. I didn’t anticipate being above .500 in these first two months. We’re happy we’re here. They’re really starting to play a lot better together.”

The first quarter served as an affirmation of Bryant’s last game, a victory against Toronto in which he had a season-high nine assists and a season-low 11 points. Friday, Bryant had only one point in the first quarter but accumulated five assists as the Lakers built a 33-19 lead.

Bryant’s first basket of the game, a 12-footer from the wing, came with 5:56 left in the second quarter and provided a 35-28 Laker lead. He had all eight of his assists by halftime, when the Lakers led, 47-37.

Bryant wasn’t missed much in the fourth quarter, as Walton orchestrated scores with five of his seven assists, and Laron Profit had all six of his points to maintain the Laker lead, which was four (at 72-68) when the quarter began and never dipped below that.

Coincidentally, or maybe not, Bryant’s effort came the same night that Pippen was recognized. Pippen, who served as an assistant coach during Laker training camp, recently criticized Bryant while serving as a cable-TV studio analyst, saying the Laker star was being “totally unfair to his teammates” by taking too many shots.

“He’s showing he’s uncoachable,” Pippen said.

Bryant, for his part, spoke reverentially of Pippen.

“It was just an honor to be here,” he said. “We saw history in the making tonight. I feel very blessed to be here to be able to see that.”