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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Los Angeles Lakers led by 11 points in the
first quarter before the Washington Wizards cut it to three. An
11-point second-quarter margin was whittled to five. A 10-point
lead in the third quarter was narrowed to two before one more run
by the Lakers put the game away.
|  | | Kobe Bryant had 26 points and five steals to lead the Lakers past the Wizards. |
Kobe Bryant scored 10 of his 26 points in the decisive 21-8
stretch at the end of the third quarter Friday night as the Lakers
won 101-89 for their third straight victory.
"That's what great teams do," Washington coach Leonard
Hamilton said. "They pick their spots. They're very confident.
They execute well. People say they've lost 21 games and they're not
as good as last year, but when they want to turn it on, they're a
great basketball team."
Shaquille O'Neal had 18 points and eight rebounds for the
Lakers, who had five players in double digits after three quarters.
The victory, one night after an overtime win at Detroit, kept
the Lakers one-half game behind first-place Sacramento in the
Pacific Division. The Kings beat Philadelphia on the road Friday
night.
Courtney Alexander scored 20 points for the Wizards, who had won
two straight. Leading scorer Mitch Richmond missed the game after
straining his right knee Wednesday night against Detroit.
The only Lakers player not happy afterward was Isaiah Rider, who
played just five second-quarter minutes without scoring in his
return from a five-game suspension for violating the NBA's drug
policy.
"I'm a scorer, I'm a ballplayer," Rider said. "But they're
not really high on me, I sense that. ... We come down and iso Kobe
or iso Shaq, not many shots after that, so my main goal is to try
and win a ring and wait and see what happens next year. That's just
where I am right now. A lot of people tell me I should've took the
money ... with Miami."
Coach Phil Jackson said Rider's attitude dictated the limited
minutes.
"He didn't go in there with the kind of mindset that I wanted
him to," Jackson said. "Instead of letting the game come to him,
he tried to take the game on."
The game was a triumph of talent and flash over enthusiasm and
persistence. The makeshift Wizards lineup, without Richmond, made
several impressive runs to shrink double-digit deficits, but the
Lakers responded every time.
Bryant, bothered recently by sore ankles, followed a 39-point
performance against the Pistons with an impressive show at both
ends of the court. His pesky double-team help in the post led to
several steals and transition baskets. He finished with five
steals, five assists, five rebounds and two blocked shots.
Bryant started the fourth quarter with five straight Lakers
points, including an alley-oop layup that required a midair
adjustment and major league hang time. He also made a 35-foot
jumper at the first-half buzzer, then celebrated with a big smile
as he pumped his index finger toward the Lakers bench.
"In the first half, Kobe stayed inside the offense," Jackson
said. "He got whacking away there in the fourth quarter, which is
like a green light for him. Once we take Shaq out, the green light
goes on and he goes after it."
Game notes
Popeye Jones had a season-high 14 points for the Wizards.
... Washington shot 60 percent in the first quarter, but just 36
percent the rest of the game. ... The game was played on the first
anniversary of a stunning 109-102 victory for the Wizards over the
Lakers, which ended Los Angeles' 19-game winning streak. ... The
teams meet again Wednesday in Los Angeles.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
LA Lakers Clubhouse
Washington Clubhouse
RECAPS
Indiana 103
Atlanta 97
Sacramento 100
Philadelphia 79
LA Lakers 101
Washington 89
Cleveland 114
Charlotte 109
Orlando 103
Vancouver 99
Seattle 90
Chicago 80
San Antonio 95
New Jersey 86
Boston 87
Denver 83
Portland 90
Utah 87
LA Clippers 94
Golden State 76
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Shaquille O'Neal and Derek Fisher work the give-and-go before Shaq finishes off with the jam.
avi: 501 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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