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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Shaquille O'Neal was a bit of a role player,
albeit a large, dominating role.
|  | | Kobe Bryant sat out his second straight game with a sprained ankle. |
Making a couple of no-look passes that would do Magic Johnson
proud, O'Neal matched his season high with eight assists and also
scored 30 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Atlanta Hawks
113-106 Friday night.
With Dikembe Mutombo no longer the Atlanta center, O'Neal could
have pounded on the Hawks' defense inside, but he took just 21
shots, making 13, as the Lakers won their second straight without
Kobe Bryant.
"I get as much satisfaction getting an assist," O'Neal said.
"It's just commonsense basketball. This could have been a 50-point
night for me, but we didn't need that.
"I'm capable of scoring a lot of points, but if teams are going
to double- and triple-team, I think it's better that I get my
teammates involved."
Brian Shaw, starting in Bryant's guard spot, scored 22 points,
two of them coming off a drive in the first half when O'Neal,
looking the other way, threaded a perfect bounce pass to Shaw
between two defenders.
"Brian's man turned his head every time I got the ball, Brian
cut to the basket, so I just hit him with a nice, solid pass,"
O'Neal said.
With Bryant, who is nursing an ankle sprain, dressed in a natty
dark suit and tie as he watched from the bench, the Lakers got
balanced scoring in a game they dominated almost all the way.
Los Angeles' other regular starting guard, Ron Harper, is on the
injured list with a sore left knee. Isaiah Rider, starting in his
place, had 14 points.
Lakers rookie Mike Penberthy had 16 points and was perfect on
his four shots from the floor, three of them 3-pointers. Devean
George added 10 points.
Los Angeles finished with 30 assists – as Rick Fox matched
O'Neal's eight – and shot 51 percent from the floor. Atlanta, which
had 16 assists, shot 47 percent.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson wasn't entirely pleased with his
team's performance, saying, "We didn't defend the way we should.
We need Kobe and Harper back. Kobe should be back Sunday."
Looking ahead in what has been an up-and-down season for the
defending NBA champions, Jackson said, "We need to have motivation
and confidence going into March."
It was the Hawks' first game since they traded Mutombo to
Philadelphia on Thursday. Atlanta also gave up forward Roshown
McLeod in the deal Thursday for Theo Ratliff, Toni Kukoc, Nazr
Mohammed and Pepe Sanchez.
Chris Crawford scored 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting for
Atlanta. Jason Terry had 25 points, and Lorenzen Wright, who
started at center, added 18.
The Hawks won't have the services of Kukoc until next week, and
Ratliff may be unable to play for a month or more. Kukoc isn't
scheduled to make his Hawks debut until next Wednesday, and Ratliff
is out after undergoing wrist surgery this week.
"Obviously this is just the early stages of a lot of work we've
got ahead," Atlanta coach Lon Kruger said. "Any time you change
out four guys, although we only had two of them tonight, it is a
new beginning and they have to get a feel for each other.
"It's going to be a work in progress for a while."
Los Angeles took the lead early in the opening quarter and
stayed in front the rest of the way, with their biggest lead 65-47
late in the first half. The closest the Hawks got afterward was a
seven-point deficit in the final 19 seconds.
Game notes
Broadcaster Chick Hearn was back at the mike for the
Lakers. Hearn, who missed only his second half of basketball in
more than 35 years because of laryngitis on Wednesday night in
Texas, made the game against the Hawks his 3,273rd in a row. He
also had a case of laryngitis six years ago, causing him to miss
part of a playoff game. ... The Hawks activated rookie Hanno
Mottola, who had missed five games with a sprained left elbow.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Atlanta Clubhouse
LA Lakers Clubhouse
RECAPS
Sacramento 119
Toronto 118
Indiana 92
Cleveland 90
Phoenix 88
New York 84
Philadelphia 99
Detroit 78
Minnesota 122
Golden State 83
Houston 105
Orlando 95
Milwaukee 93
Vancouver 81
San Antonio 100
Boston 82
Utah 96
Seattle 84
LA Lakers 113
Atlanta 106
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