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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The reunion of Phil Jackson and the Chicago
Bulls was no contest.
Shaquille O'Neal scored 41 points and the Los Angeles Lakers gave their new coach a 103-95 victory in his first meeting against
his former team Friday night.
|  | | Randy Brown tries his luck on the baseline against Shaquille O'Neal, who had seven blocked shots. |
"I had absolutely no reflex at all about them. None," Jackson
said.
Jackson had the advantage on the floor -- with former Bull Ron
Harper -- and on the bench, where former Chicago assistants Jim
Cleamons, Frank Hamblen, Tex Winter and trainer Chip Schaefer have
joined him.
"They aren't the same," Harper said of his former team. "It
was good seeing some of my old friends. Other than that, it was
just another game."
Tim Floyd, in his second season since succeeding Jackson, has
only a shell of the team that won six NBA titles in eight seasons
under Jackson. Michael Jordan retired, Scottie Pippen plays for Portland and Dennis Rodman is out of the league.
Will Perdue and Randy Brown were the only holdovers who played
Friday. The others -- Toni Kukoc, B.J. Armstrong and Dickey Simpkins
-- are injured.
Jackson downplayed his first game against the Bulls to his new
team.
"Sometimes a coach might say, 'Look guys, go get this win for
me.' He's not that type of coach. He wouldn't put us in that
position," Lakers guard Derek Fisher said.
"The team's success didn't get pushed to the side for him to get his win against the Bulls for the first time," Fisher said.
The 2½-hour game stagnated with 102 free throws. O'Neal made the
most of his trips to the line, setting career highs with 19 free
throws made on 31 attempts as he topped 30 points for the third time
this week. He also grabbed 17 rebounds.
"I'm starting to get my game back. Everything else is there except from the line," O'Neal said. "I just have to pick up that part of my game. It can't get any worse."
Bulls reserves Chris Anstey, Lari Ketner and Michael Ruffin
fouled out trying to slow O'Neal.
Rookie Elton Brand had a season-high 29 points and 17 rebounds
to lead the Bulls, who lost for the eighth time in nine games this
season.
"They're in for a long year," Harper said.
Chicago's rare visits to Los Angeles when Jordan was still
playing were always sellouts, but there were plenty of empty seats
among the 18,401 at Staples Center.
The Lakers put the game away with a 13-0 run at the start of the
third quarter that gave them a 22-point lead. Chicago was within
seven points in the second quarter, but never got closer.
"The start of the third quarter killed us," Floyd said. "We
have been worrying about our ability to score. We still didn't
shoot a great percentage at 36 percent, but I liked Elton's
aggressiveness even though some of his shots didn't go down."
O'Neal had seven points in the game-breaking spurt when Perdue picked up his fourth foul guarding O'Neal, who left with 4:36 remaining in the game.
The Bulls shot just 36 percent and were whistled for 41 fouls to 29 for the Lakers.
Game notes
Harper was 0-for-6 shooting. "When you come to my house
and see my three championship rings, ask me if I care how many
field goals I made," he said. "My season doesn't start until
after 82 games. This is just an exercise, like going to the gym."
... The teams played for the first time since Feb. 1, 1998. ... The
Bulls activated Corey Benjamin and Ketner off the injured list Friday and placed Simpkins and Fred Hoiberg on the IL. Simpkins has left Achilles tendinitis and Hoiberg has a right quadriceps tendon strain. ... The Lakers began copying the Bulls' pregame
introductions by turning off the lights and using spotlights. ...
O'Neal is averaging 13.1 free-throw attempts a game, more than any
player in the NBA.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Chicago Clubhouse
LA Lakers Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 109
New Jersey 96
Atlanta 105
Indiana 99
Toronto 106
LA Clippers 100
Charlotte 103
Orlando 92
Detroit 101
Cleveland 90
Minnesota 89
Utah 84
Portland 97
Philadelphia 91
Sacramento 103
Dallas 94
Phoenix 96
New York 81
LA Lakers 103
Chicago 95
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