2nd Time Is Charm for Bryant

Phil Jackson was back. So were the Lakers, at least for a night.

In a season opener where the Lakers had to rally late to force overtime, Kobe Bryant made amends with a 23-foot jumper with 0.6 seconds left in overtime to drive the Lakers to a 99-97 victory Wednesday over the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center.

Bryant had 33 points, eight in overtime, and a part of Jackson felt as if he had never left.

“That’s when he’s at his best,” Jackson said, “under duress at the end of games.”

The first paradox of a very young season: Jackson didn’t diagram the final shot for Bryant, but for Kwame Brown, who was relatively ineffective throughout the game.

Brown had a shot from the left block, rebounded his own miss and fed Bryant with a few seconds left.

Bryant dribbled toward the top of the key and feathered a shot over Andre Miller and Eduardo Najera.

Bryant said he didn’t care how the play was drawn up.

“[Jackson] trusts me. He knows that if the play breaks down, I will find my way back to the ball,” said Bryant, who made only one of six shots in the fourth quarter but all three of his overtime attempts.

“Kwame got a great look. How he got his own rebound, I have no idea because he was going the opposite direction. He got it to me and I knocked it down.”

The Nuggets had a final chance to answer after a timeout, but Voshon Lenard’s shot at the buzzer was short.

The Lakers forced overtime with a frenetic final minute of regulation.

Smush Parker made a three-point shot from the top of the key to bring the Lakers within 89-88 with 37 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Chris Mihm then made one of two free throws to tie the score and, after Carmelo Anthony missed an 18-footer with 11.9 seconds left, the Lakers had a chance to win in regulation.

But Bryant missed a 22-footer as time expired.

He wouldn’t miss again.

Overall, there was a series of firsts on the night of Jackson’s return to basketball.

Parker, in his first game as a Laker starter, scored 20 points, making eight of 12 shots. He had no turnovers and was a presence at both ends of the court.

Brown, in his Laker debut, had seven points and six rebounds in 28 minutes.

Lamar Odom was up and down, scoring eight points on two-of-13 shooting. He had seven assists, nine rebounds and four turnovers.

Andrew Bynum logged his first five pro minutes, had no points, two rebounds, one blocked shot and became the youngest player in NBA history (18 years, six days).

Beforehand, Jackson spoke of pangs of anticipation, if not anxiety, in his first game since the 2004 Finals.

“Right now, it’s the apprehension of how we’re going to do, how we’re going to stand up to this kind of a team on this kind of a night with this young group of guys we’ve got, guys that have never been out there before,” Jackson said. “There’s some apprehension, excitement about how it’s going to go.”

During the game, it was a different Jackson than the one from the past, more animated and less contemplative.

He sparred with the referees, sighed deeply from the bench on more than one occasion, and even stood, arms folded, as the game neared its conclusion.

The Lakers did their best to keep the Nuggets down, playing defense that would have been unimaginable last season.

The Lakers, 27th in the league in points allowed in 2004-05, forced 23 turnovers and held the Nuggets to 43% shooting.

Just a day earlier, an hour before the Lakers boarded their charter flight, Odom said they needed to be one of the best defensive teams in the Western Conference if playoffs were to become a reality.

“That might be a surprise to y’all,” he said. “But we know we can do it. We have the agility and ability.”

On Wednesday, they were agile and able enough for a victory.

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Laker lineups

Starting lineups to begin each Laker season under Coach Phil Jackson:

*--* 1999 at Utah 2002 vs. S.A. Won 91-84 Lost 87-82 G Ron Harper G Kobe Bryant G Derek Fisher-a G Derek Fisher C Shaquille O’Neal C Soumalia Samake-c F A.C. Green F Robert Horry F Glen Rice F Devean George 2000 at Portland 2003 vs. Dallas Won 96-86 Won 109-93 G Ron Harper G Derek Fisher-d G Kobe Bryant G Gary Payton C Shaquille O’Neal C Shaquille O’Neal F Horace Grant F Karl Malone F Rick Fox F Devean George 2001 vs. Portland 2005 at Denver Won 98-87 Won 99-97 (OT) G Lindsey Hunter-b G Smush Parker G Kobe Bryant G Kobe Bryant C Shaquille O’Neal C Chris Mihm F Rick Fox F Kwame Brown F Samaki Walker F Lamar Odom

*--*

a-Kobe Bryant missed game because of broken hand; b-Derek Fisher on injured list after foot surgery; c-Shaquille O’Neal on injured list after toe surgery; Rick Fox had been suspended for preseason fight, d-Kobe Bryant missed game because of sore right knee.