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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Kobe Bryant would prefer to sit out the NBA
All-Star Game because of a sore right shoulder, although he played
like he was perfectly healthy Wednesday night.
He says he'll play Sunday at the MCI Center because he doesn't
want to risk being suspended.
|  | | The Lakers are ready to swarm Kobe Bryant after his jumper with 2.3 seconds left gave L.A. an 85-83 win over Phoenix. |
Bryant's 15-foot jumper with 2.3 seconds remaining capped a
terrific performance and lifted the Los Angeles Lakers to an 85-83
victory over the Phoenix Suns in the final game before the All-Star
break for both teams.
The game-winning shot over the tight defense of Shawn Marion
completed a 23-point second half for Bryant, who finished with 32
points, eight rebounds, nine assists and four steals.
"My shoulder's real bad, man, a couple of those lobs didn't
help at all," he said.
Then, asked about the All-Star Game, where he'll be starting for
the third straight time, Bryant said he had "heard indirectly"
there was a possibility he'd be suspended for five games if he
didn't play.
"It's been rumored," he said without elaborating further.
After Bryant's shot, Cliff Robinson's jumper from the top of the
key missed as time expired.
The Suns tied the game on a 3-point shot by Tom Gugliotta from
the left corner with 11.5 seconds left. It was the first 3-pointer
in four attempts by Gugliotta this season and his only points of
the game.
"Yeah, I knew that," Gugliotta said when asked if he realized
he hadn't made a 3-pointer, although he made 193-of-680 in his
previous eight seasons. "They told me to be ready. There were a
couple of other options before that. It turned out to be me."
Then came the game-winning shot by Bryant.
"Great shot," Marion said. "I had my hand all over his face,
I almost got a piece of it. He hit it, that was that. I'll take
that challenge every night if I could, I wanted the challenge."
Bryant said he was anticipating a Phoenix double-team on the
play, but it never came.
"You just improvise," he said.
Of Marion, he said: "He's long, he's tall. A couple plays
earlier, he blocked my pull-up jump shot. I said, 'Damn, this guy's
long.' "
Bryant made 1 of 2 free throws to give the Lakers an 83-80 lead
six seconds before Gugliotta's big shot.
"That put us in an emergency situation, but we were able to
come through that," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We survived
a game, it was an interesting fourth quarter, being able to score
15 points and win."
Bryant had 11 of those points and Ron Harper the other four.
Harper finished with 16 points and rookie Mark Madsen had 13 for
the Lakers, who won their third straight game and raised their record
to 4-2 since Shaquille O'Neal went to the sidelines Jan. 28 with a
strained right arch.
A specialist who examined O'Neal said his injured foot is
healing well. It appears last season's MVP will return next week,
possibly Tuesday night when the Lakers open a six-game road trip at
New Jersey following the All-Star break.
The Lakers won their final three games before the break last
year, triggering a 19-game winning streak.
Robinson led the Suns with 22 points, 12 in the fourth quarter,
which began with the Lakers leading 70-59. Marion had 18 points and
16 rebounds, Jason Kidd added 14 points, six rebounds and nine
assists, and Vinny Del Negro had season-high totals of 11 points
and seven rebounds.
The Lakers held a 47-44 lead early in the third quarter before
Bryant's eight points sparked an 18-5 run to put them on top 65-49
– largest lead of the game.
However, the Suns drew within 11 points by the end of the period
and scored the first six of the fourth to make it 70-65.
The Lakers led 43-40 at halftime.
Game notes
Madsen brought a 1.7-point average into the game and Del
Negro was averaging 2.8 points beforehand. ... O'Neal, the Western
Conference's leading vote-getter for Sunday's All-Star game, has
been replaced on the roster by Sacramento's Vlade Divac. ... Lakers
guard Isaiah Rider, whose production has diminished recently,
arrived at the locker room nearly 15 minutes late. Coach Phil
Jackson, speaking with reporters at the time, noted Rider's late
arrival and paused to check his watch. Rider had two points in
eight minutes. ... The Lakers have won seven straight and 18 of the
last 21 regular-season games against Phoenix, including a 115-78
victory Dec. 28 – the most one-sided Suns' loss ever at America
West Arena. In addition, the Lakers eliminated the Suns 4-1 in a
second-round playoff series last spring.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Phoenix Clubhouse
LA Lakers Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 94
Milwaukee 91
Houston 112
Philadelphia 87
San Antonio 107
Cleveland 89
New York 96
Dallas 93
Orlando 107
Washington 98
Minnesota 117
Sacramento 88
Portland 97
Seattle 80
Golden State 89
LA Clippers 88
LA Lakers 85
Phoenix 83
Utah 92
Vancouver 82
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Kobe Bryant Official Site
Rick Fox Official Site
Mark Madsen Official Site
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