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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- The Los Angeles Lakers' 17th straight
victory was routine. The only drama was the team's internal duel
for high-scoring honors.
|  | | Kobe Bryant, who led the Lakers with 30 points, tries to get a handle on one of his 4 rebounds. |
Kobe Bryant scored 30 points and Shaquille O'Neal had 29 points
and 13 rebounds as the Lakers extended their winning streak
Thursday night with a 109-92 defeat of lowly Golden State.
The Lakers, who also had a separate 16-game winning streak
earlier this season, now are more than halfway toward their
NBA-record 33-game winning streak during the 1971-72 season. They
next face Sacramento on Sunday in Los Angeles.
"We're playing well, playing good defense, moving the ball well," O'Neal said. "We're just trying to get in position to get home-court advantage (in the playoffs)."
O'Neal, coming off a 61-point game Monday against the Los
Angeles Clippers, and Bryant matched each other basket for basket
at times as the Lakers gradually built their lead. O'Neal scored on
a power move, only to be one-upped by a leaping basket by Bryant.
Golden State's Donyell Marshall said the Lakers' one-two punch of O'Neal and Bryant is very difficult to stop.
"They're playing as a team. It's coming together for them,"
Marshall said. "They're playing their best ball right now. We all
know the championship is going to come out of the Western
Conference, and they're the team to beat."
Larry Hughes had a career-high 41 points for the Warriors, who
have lost four straight.
"That's OK. We had the game under control," Lakers coach Phil
Jackson said of Hughes' big night. "Sometimes a kid has a game
like that and you have to accept it. Kobe wasn't getting a lot of
help on him."
Hughes, who went 15-of-25 from the field and hit 11 of his 14 free throws, said he was disappointed despite his impressive numbers.
"It's not much satisfaction," Hughes said. "If I go out there
and score a lot of points and we lose, it doesn't matter."
Leading by 10 points at halftime, the Lakers built their margin to 21 points on Robert Horry's three-point play with 2:07 left in the third period. Los Angeles led 86-73 entering the fourth quarter, despite a 10-2 run by Golden State to end the third period.
The Warriors pulled within 11 points early in the fourth
quarter, but got no closer. A 10-point Lakers run that include
3-pointers by Rick Fox and Derek Fisher made it 101-79 with six
minutes remaining.
O'Neal had 21 points and Bryant had 19 as the Lakers took a
59-49 halftime lead. Hughes had 21 points for the Warriors in the
first half, three times as many as any of his teammates.
The Lakers were leading 40-37 with five minutes left in the
second period when they went on a 12-0 run that included four
points by O'Neal and left Warriors coach Garry St. Jean stomping
the floor in frustration.
Fisher slightly strained his left ankle in the second quarter, but returned after halftime. Golden State's Vonteego Cummings
stepped on Fisher's foot as Cummings drove down the lane.
Game notes
The crowd of 20,136 was the largest in Golden State
history. ... Los Angeles got its season-high ninth straight road
win. ... The Lakers became the first team to clinch a playoff spot
Tuesday night when the Denver Nuggets lost at Indiana. ... The
Warriors are 2-13 this season against Pacific Division peers. ...
Golden State lost all three games on a homestand that ended
Thursday. ... Center Erick Dampier returned for the Warriors after missing three games with inflammation in his left knee. He scored two points in 21 minutes. ... Golden State missed 15 free throws,
going 22-for-37 at the foul line.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
LA Lakers Clubhouse
Golden State Clubhouse
RECAPS
Indiana 127
Portland 119
San Antonio 105
Atlanta 79
Minnesota 100
Dallas 79
Utah 101
Houston 82
LA Lakers 109
Golden State 92
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