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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- While the sore-footed superstar could only watch, the sore-shouldered superstar put on a show.
With Shaquille O'Neal in street clothes on the Los Angeles bench, Kobe Bryant, obviously in pain, scored 44 points Friday
night to lead the Lakers to a 93-87 victory over Charlotte.
"The shoulder's pretty tight. It's pretty sore right now. It started feeling OK and started loosening up," Bryant said. "But I took a little spill in the first half and it kind of brought me back to ground zero.
"But what are you going to do?"
In his case, keep shooting and scrambling around the court.
Bryant, who has experienced soreness in his shooting shoulder
for the past few games, had nine rebounds and was 15-of-30 from the
floor and perfect on 14 chances from the line in the seesaw game
against the Hornets.
He was the only Los Angeles player in double figures. Rick Fox
was next with nine points.
There were 19 lead changes in the game, five in the fourth
quarter before Fox's dunk gave the Lakers the lead for good at
84-83 with 3:55 remaining. The Hornets made just one field goal the
rest of the way.
Jamal Mashburn had 28 points and David Wesley 18 for Charlotte,
which has lost eight of 10.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson, often less than thrilled with
Bryant's solo performances, liked this one.
"I thought he played a really fine game," Jackson said. "There were some points in the game where he was trying his darndest to score. Some were successful and some of them weren't.
"But he did bring some energy and helped us get over the edge."
The Hornets made just 31 of 90 shots while the Lakers were good
on 36 of 78.
"It's tough to beat any team when you're shooting 34 percent," Charlotte coach Paul Silas said. "They shot 46 percent and I think that's pretty much the game.
"I thought we were in it all the way to the end. But they executed and we didn't."
Bryant scored 14 in the third and Los Angeles was up 73-72
heading into the final 12 minutes.
The pain in his shooting shoulder was particularly obvious late in the first half, when he drove for a layup and was knocked to the floor. Wincing as he got up, Bryant held his right arm close to his body for several moments.
Coming in, the defending NBA champion Lakers had lost four of their last six, including going 1-2 since O'Neal was sidelined.
O'Neal, who was the NBA's regular-season and Finals MVP last
year and is averaging 26.9 points and 12.9 rebounds this season,
has missed four games because of a strained right arch and is
expected to be out for at least two more. He may also miss next
weekend's All-Star Game in Washington, D.C.
It was the sixth time Bryant has scored more than 40 points this
season, with his career high of 51 coming Dec. 6 at Golden State.
O'Neal sat on the Los Angeles bench with Derek Fisher, who has
not played this season because of a stress fracture in his right
foot, and rookie Mike Penberthy, on the injured list with a strained right shoulder.
Bryant scored 24 points in the first half, 14 in the second
quarter, to help stake Los Angeles to a 57-53 lead.
Mashburn had 13 points by halftime to keep the Hornets close.
Game notes
Although O'Neal doesn't know whether he will be able to
play in the All-Star game, he said he planned to go anyway. ... The
Lakers had considered having O'Neal go on the injured list, but,
according to Jackson, "He didn't want to." ... After a 20-9
start, the Hornets have gone 5-14. ... The game was the 1,000th for
the Hornets, who are in their 13th NBA season.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Charlotte Clubhouse
LA Lakers Clubhouse
O'Neal believes he'll come back 'with a vengeance'
RECAPS
Indiana 103
Denver 94
Orlando 123
Philadelphia 117
Miami 91
Atlanta 80
New York 95
New Jersey 71
Boston 102
Detroit 95
LA Lakers 93
Charlotte 87
Sacramento 105
Vancouver 95
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Jamal Mashburn nails the shot from behind the arch for the 3.
avi: 429 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Kobe Bryant Official Site
Rick Fox Official Site
Mark Madsen Official Site
Baron Davis Official Site
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