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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- With Kobe Bryant and Stephon
Marbury going head-to-head again like they did in the All Star
game, the return of Shaquille O'Neal turned out to be just a very
good sideshow.
|  | | Stephon Marbury's career-high 50 points and season-high 12 assists weren't enough to beat L.A. |
Bryant's three-point play with 4.8 seconds left in overtime
outdid Marbury's career-high 50 points as the Los Angeles Lakers
beat the New Jersey Nets 113-110 Tuesday night.
Bryant's heroics came just two days after Marbury buried two big
3-pointers in the final minute to lead the East over the West in
the NBA All Star game.
"I told (Nets coach) Byron (Scott) that there was no way I was
going to miss the game-winning shot two games in a row," Bryant
said after his 38-point performance gave the Lakers their fourth
straight win.
Marbury, who hit 17 of 29 shots and tied his season high with 12
assists, had a chance to tie the game, but his 33-foot shot from
straight on bounced off the front of the rim, ending the Nets'
season-high three-game winning streak.
When asked if there was anything else he might have done,
Marbury had a quick answer.
"I could have made that final 3-pointer," he said. "I wish."
Marbury downplayed the All-Star comparison.
"The All-Star game is over," said the point guard, whose
previous career high was 42 against Vancouver on Jan. 27, 2000.
"This just goes to show we can go out and play with anyone if we
play like this."
Playing for the first time since a foot injury in late January,
O'Neal played 43 minutes and had 32 points, 14 rebounds and one
crucial block on Marbury in overtime.
"He played pretty well," Bryant said of O'Neal. "His timing
was a little off. That block at the end was big, but that's what he
does for us."
Trailing 110-107 with 1:21 to play in overtime, the Lakers found
an unconventional way to tie the game. After O'Neal hit one of two
free throws, he blocked a drive by Marbury.
Tyronn Lue, who had not scored all night, then drove from
midcourt and hit a high-arcing layup over Keith Van Horn to tie the
game with 36.8 seconds to play.
Lucious Harris missed a 3-pointer with about 20 seconds to play,
setting up the Bryant's final shot. Starting on the right wing, he
dribbled toward the foul line, did a reverse spin and then drove
the lane, powering his shot over rookie Kenyon Martin. He added the
free throw for the final margin.
"Kobe was pressing a little bit at the end," Lakers coach Phil
Jackson said. "We told him to let it come to him and he really
stepped up on that last shot. It was exactly what we were looking
for."
The Lakers seemed to have the game in hand after Bryant banked
in a short shot with 4:14 in regulation for a 100-88 lead.
But Marbury had other ideas. He hit two free throws and
converted a three-point play and fed a wide-open Van Horn for a
3-pointer that cut the lead to 100-96 with 2:00 to play.
Bryant appeared to put two daggers in the Nets' comeback hopes,
sandwiching a rebound follow and a reverse layup around two free
throws by Marbury, giving Los Angeles a 104-98 lead with 64 seconds
to go.
After an offensive rebound, Marbury hit a high-arcing 3-pointer
to narrow the lead to three points with 50.5 seconds to go, then
tied the game with another 3-sky-high 3-pointer with 27 seconds
left after a turnover by Lue near midcourt.
"He's always been a great player," O'Neal said of Marbury.
"He probably should have been an All-Star the last four years.
With the new rules, you can't stop him."
Bryant had a chance to put the Lakers ahead in the closing
seconds, but he misfired on a jumper from the top of the key.
Van Horn added 20 points for New Jersey, which also got 13
rebounds from Jaime Feick.
The Lakers led 74-71 after a wild third quarter that featured
spurts of 9-4 and 17-2 by Los Angeles and 20-4 and 8-0 by New
Jersey.
Game notes
Marbury became the first New Jersey player to score 50
since Ray Williams had 52 against Detroit in April, 1982. ... The
first half had a weird ending, with Ron Harper fouling Nets forward
Aaron Williams on a 25-footer with less than a second to go. After
Williams made the first free throw, Lakers coach Phil Jackson was
called for a technical. Johnny Newman converted that, but Williams
missed the last two shots, leaving the Lakers ahead 44-37. ... The
Nets had their second sellout of the season. ... It was New
Jersey's first overtime game this season.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
LA Lakers Clubhouse
New Jersey Clubhouse
Shaq returns with a vengeance against Nets
RECAPS
Charlotte 77
Indiana 66
Toronto 120
Cleveland 105
Miami 101
LA Clippers 99
LA Lakers 113
New Jersey 110
Philadelphia 107
Milwaukee 104
Sacramento 97
Utah 94
Chicago 96
Atlanta 92
Houston 99
Washington 89
San Antonio 104
Dallas 92
Denver 96
New York 77
Portland 109
Minnesota 88
Vancouver 99
Boston 98
Phoenix 93
Golden State 83
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Coming off a foot injury, Shaquille O'Neal was anxious to start the second half of the season.
wav: 119 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
The Lakers' Kobe Bryant felt a few mental errors kept the Nets in the game.
wav: 104 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Kobe Bryant Official Site
Rick Fox Official Site
Mark Madsen Official Site
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