January 5, 2003
Staples Center
Los Angeles, CA
Boxscore: [ Ссылка ]
Statline: 31 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, 13-29 shooting and 1-5 from 3 point vs the Phoenix Suns.
The Lakers came off a very ugly loss the previous night against the Phoenix Suns on their home court.
But in the very next game against the same Suns team this time at home, for one of the few times during the 2002-03 season at the time, the Los Angeles Lakers bore a close resemblance to their NBA championship teams of the last three years.
Shaquille O'Neal had 36 points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots and the Lakers led nearly all the way in beating the Phoenix Suns 109-97 Sunday night for only their fifth victory over a team with a winning record.
Kobe Bryant had 31 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists and Rick Fox added 11 points and eight assists for Lakers (14-20), who lost to the Suns 107-93 in Phoenix on Saturday night.
Bryant scored the Lakers' first nine points of the fourth quarter before O'Neal's basket put Los Angeles ahead 88-77 with 8:18 remaining.
The Suns didn't get closer than seven points after that.
The Lakers shot 52.4 percent and outrebounded the Suns 53-37 in winning for the third time in four games.
The Lakers outscored the Suns 9-2 on Derek Fisher's first five points of the game and two baskets by O'Neal for a 62-51 lead early in the third quarter.
At that stage, Marion and Amare Stoudemire had four fouls and four points each. They combined for 40 points in Saturday night's convincing victory.
The Lakers led 77-68 entering the final period.
Baskets by Horry and O'Neal gave Los Angeles a 40-28 lead with 8:45 left in the second quarter. The Lakers made only three field goals during the rest of the period -- all by O'Neal -- but led 51-45 at halftime.
Bryant made his first four shots -- all medium-range jumpers -- to put the Lakers ahead for good in the game's first three minutes.
Bryant's three-point play with 58 seconds left in the first quarter gave him 13 points and the Lakers a 26-19 lead. It was 29-24 entering the second period.
Other Notes: 4 of Kobe's field goals are missing in this video.
Kobe had 3 dunks in the game
