Box Score

 

LA LAKERS (113)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
D George            33   4-6   1-2   2-7   2   3   11
K Malone            36  4-15   3-6  3-11   5   3   11
S O'Neal            39  9-15  5-13  4-14   1   3   23
K Bryant            40 10-22  9-10   5-7   8   3   31
G Payton            34  7-15   4-4   1-3   5   1   19
B Russell            6   1-1   0-0   0-2   1   3    2
H Grant             15   0-3   1-2   1-3   1   2    1
D Fisher            22   3-7   2-2   0-1   2   1   10
K Rush               8   1-2   0-2   0-0   0   3    3
L Walton             7   1-1   0-0   0-0   0   0    2
S Medvedenko       DNP  - BRUISED LEFT KNEE                              
J Pargo            DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 40-87 25-41 16-48  25  22  113
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.460, FT-.610. 3-Point Goals:
8-19, .421 (D George 2-4, K Bryant 2-4, G 
Payton 1-5, D Fisher 2-4, K Rush 1-2). Team 
Rebounds: 14. Blocked Shots:5 (S O'Neal 3, K 
Bryant 2). Turnovers:10 (G Payton 4, D George
2, S O'Neal, L Walton, K Malone, B Russell). 
Steals: 7 (K Malone 2, D Fisher 2, G Payton, 
D George, K Bryant).


MILWAUKEE (107)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
D Santiago          24   4-7   0-0   1-5   0   5    8
T Thomas            38  4-15   8-8  2-11   4   2   16
J Smith             31   2-9   2-2  5-11   0   4    6
T Ford              27  1-10   3-4   1-5   7   2    5
M Redd              34 13-23   5-6   5-8   2   2   36
D Jones             21   4-8   0-0   0-0   6   2   10
D Mason             27   4-7   5-5   2-5   1   3   13
T Kukoc             17   3-6   0-0   0-4   2   3    8
D Gadzuric          19   0-4   1-2   0-2   0   3    1
M Haislip            2   1-1   2-3   1-1   0   0    4
E Strickland       DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 36-90 26-30 17-52  22  26  107
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.400, FT-.867. 3-Point Goals:
9-19, .474 (T Thomas 0-4, M Redd 5-7, D Jones
2-5, T Kukoc 2-3). Team Rebounds: 7. Blocked 
Shots:5 (D Gadzuric 3, J Smith 2). 
Turnovers:12 (T Kukoc 4, M Redd 4, J Smith, T
Ford, T Thomas, D Mason). Steals: 8 (D 
Gadzuric 2, T Kukoc, T Thomas, T Ford, M 
Haislip, D Jones, M Redd).

--------------------------------------------
LA LAKERS            27  30  26  30   -  113
MILWAUKEE            18  36  32  21   -  107
-------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: Milwaukee - 1 (Defensive 
Three, 11:26 3rd).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 18,717. T: 2:24. 
Officials: Dick Bavetta, Matt Boland, Ted 
Bernhardt.

Extended Box

 

LA LAKERS (113) AT MILWAUKEE (107)

LA LAKERS

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
D GEORGE          F    33    4-6      1-2      2   5   7    2   3   1   2   11
K MALONE          F    36    4-15     3-6      3   8  11    5   3   2   1   11
S O'NEAL          C    39    9-15     5-13     4  10  14    1   3   0   1   23
K BRYANT          G    40   10-22     9-10     5   2   7    8   3   1   0   31
G PAYTON          G    34    7-15     4-4      1   2   3    5   1   1   4   19
B RUSSELL               6    1-1      0-0      0   2   2    1   3   0   1    2
H GRANT                15    0-3      1-2      1   2   3    1   2   0   0    1
D FISHER               22    3-7      2-2      0   1   1    2   1   2   0   10
K RUSH                  8    1-2      0-2      0   0   0    0   3   0   0    3
L WALTON                7    1-1      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   1    2
S MEDVEDENKO          DNP  - BRUISED LEFT KNEE                                        
J PARGO               DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   40-87    25-41    16  32  48   25  22   7  10  113
                            (.460)  (.610)  TEAM REBS: 14 TOTAL TO: 10 (11 PTS)    

MILWAUKEE

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
D SANTIAGO        F    24    4-7      0-0      1   4   5    0   5   0   0    8
T THOMAS          F    38    4-15     8-8      2   9  11    4   2   1   1   16
J SMITH           C    31    2-9      2-2      5   6  11    0   4   0   1    6
T FORD            G    27    1-10     3-4      1   4   5    7   2   1   1    5
M REDD            G    34   13-23     5-6      5   3   8    2   2   1   4   36
D JONES                21    4-8      0-0      0   0   0    6   2   1   0   10
D MASON                27    4-7      5-5      2   3   5    1   3   0   1   13
T KUKOC                17    3-6      0-0      0   4   4    2   3   1   4    8
D GADZURIC             19    0-4      1-2      0   2   2    0   3   2   0    1
M HAISLIP               2    1-1      2-3      1   0   1    0   0   1   0    4
E STRICKLAND          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   36-90    26-30    17  35  52   22  26   8  12  107
                            (.400)  (.867)  TEAM REBS:  7 TOTAL TO: 12 (13 PTS)    
  
   LA LAKERS          27   30   26   30   -   113
   MILWAUKEE          18   36   32   21   -   107
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: LA LAKERS - S O'NEAL 3, K BRYANT 2.  MILWAUKEE - D GADZURIC 3,
J SMITH 2.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: LA LAKERS 8-19 (.421), D GEORGE 2-4, K BRYANT 2-
4, G PAYTON 1-5, D FISHER 2-4, K RUSH 1-2. MILWAUKEE 9-19 (.474), T THOMAS 0-
4, M REDD 5-7, D JONES 2-5, T KUKOC 2-3.
TECHNICAL FOULS: MILWAUKEE - DEFENSIVE THREE.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: DICK BAVETTA, MATT BOLAND, TED BERNHARDT.
A - 18,717. T - 2:24.

Game Story

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The "Fantastic Four" of the Los Angeles 
Lakers had the first of what should be many magical moments.

Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal
collaborated on the key play down the stretch as the Lakers
rallied for a 113-107 victory over the pesky Milwaukee Bucks.

Much has been made of the offseason additions of future Hall of
Famers Malone and Payton to a team that already included Bryant
and O'Neal, two of the top players in the game.  But the quartet
had yet to flash its combined brilliance - until Tuesday.

After Bryant's clutch shooting erased an eight-point
fourth-quarter deficit and provided a 103-101 lead with 90
seconds to play, Milwaukee's Tim Thomas drove down the lane but
was stripped by Malone, who appeared to commit a foul.

"It was like going 7-against-5 because all the refs are looking
at them like they're already in the Hall of Fame," Thomas said.

"He waved his teammates out," Malone said.  "He tested my
manhood, and I took that as a direct challenge."

The ball came loose and Devean George fired downcourt to Payton,
who dribbled once and passed to Bryant along the baseline.
Bryant held the ball for a second before finding O'Neal, who was
trailing the play.

"If all of us touch the ball, you know something special like
that is going to happen," Payton said.  "We're trying to do that
every night."

The 7-1, 350-pound center barreled down the lane, drew a foul
and scored.  His free throw made it 106-101 with 1:02 remaining,
and Bryant answered Michael Redd's foul shots with another
clutch jumper to seal it with 30 seconds left.

"I'm like Colin Powell now - I've got all the weapons, with four
guys on the court who can carry each other," O'Neal said.

The most effective weapon was Bryant, who had 31 points, eight
assists and seven rebounds in his best game since missing most
of training camp while recuperating from offseason knee surgery.

"I think we're really on the same page now," O'Neal said.  "Any
night, any one of us can go crazy.  Tonight was Kobe's night.
He carried us.  It's fun to be on a team like this with other
legends."

"We have come to expect that he plays big in games and he comes
to play in the fourth quarter," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.

O'Neal had 23 points and 14 rebounds, Payton scored 19 points
and Malone added 11 and 11 boards as the Lakers (4-0) remained
one of just two unbeaten teams.

"We won that game on experience alone, experience of our veteran
players," Jackson said.

Redd scored a career-high 36 points for the young Bucks, who
have lost the last five meetings with the Lakers.

"We lost our composure," said Redd, who made 13-of-23 shots and
added eight rebounds.  "They took advantage of their veteran
leadership.  Gary and Derek (Fisher) did a great job directing
them and Kobe made some big shots.

Redd made three of his five 3-pointers in the third quarter,
when the Bucks led by as many as 10 points before settling for
an 86-83 edge entering the final period.

Milwaukee still held a 97-89 advantage after a free throw by Dan
Gadzuric with 7:07 to play.  Bryant made a pair of 3-pointers
around a coast-to-coast layup by Payton, giving the Lakers a
103-101 lead with 1:30 left.

"You have to make plays down the stretch," Bucks coach Terry
Porter said.  "We just didn't make the plays and they did."

George scored 11 points and Fisher added 10 for the Lakers, who
shot 46 percent (40-of-87) from the field and survived 16 missed
free throws, including eight by O'Neal.

Thomas had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Desmond Mason scored 13
points for the Bucks, who shot just 40 percent (36-of-90).

Payton, the greatest player in the history of the Seattle
SuperSonics who spent the last half of last season with the
Bucks, did not receive much of a reaction from the Bradley
Center crowd.

The Lakers led by 12 points in the first quarter, but Thomas
scored 10 points in the second period, helping the Bucks close
to 57-54 at halftime.