LOS ANGELES -- Shaquille O'Neal threw the haymakers in the Los Angeles Lakers' 106-83 win over the New Jersey Nets with a game-high 40 points Friday, but it was Kobe Bryant who delivered the final blows that will have the Nets reaching for the Advil on the flight back home.

Bryant drilled back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minute to inflict more pain on the Nets after they fought back from a 20-point, third-quarter deficit and pulled within six in the fourth period.

"I think you have to make sure that your opponent has some doubt as they go back home, make them feel like they really have to go back to the drawing board and figure out a way to beat us," said Derek Fisher, who started the Lakers' game-ending 12-0 run with the first of four 3-pointers.

"If the game had gone down more like the first game, going home they would probably be extremely confident. They're still going to be confident, but to play like we played today and to have a loss like this one, they're definitely going to question what they have to do to try and get a win against us."

The Nets are going back to the Meadowlands down 0-2 in the best-of-seven series and they still haven't seen a breakout game from Bryant.

Bryant, a spectator like the rest of the Lakers during Shaq's attack on the Nets, has quietly scored 22 and 24 points in the first two games. He's had his moments with a few dunks, but the Lakers' superstar shooting guard is just content to sit back and watch O'Neal work.

Last season, Bryant said he was bored with the Lakers' triangle offense. But "it's not boring at the end of June," he said.

"We like playing in the offense," Bryant added. "It makes us extremely difficult to guard and it makes it easy for Shaquille to get the ball in position where he can do something effective.

"Certain times in the regular season, you don't like it. But at the end of June, you love it."

Lakers guard Brian Shaw believes Bryant will be called on to carry the Lakers at some point. It's just that right now, with O'Neal at the wheel, the entire team is taking a backseat in L.A.'s drive for a third consecutive championship.

"Kobe is just real patient and he allowed us to keep getting ball into Shaq," Shaw said. "At the end, when they were double-teaming Shaq and he was kicking the ball out, Kobe was knocking down the threes. He's just taking what the defense is giving him and showing some patience."

"My range felt good tonight," Bryant said. "Felt like I had my radar on. It was first time I shot 3-for-3 from the 3-point line in a while. It felt good."

For the Nets, it felt pretty painful.

Joe Lago is the NBA editor for ESPN.com.