Box Score

 

LA LAKERS (117)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
S Medvedenko        16   2-6   3-4   5-8   0   3    7
R Fox               18   3-4   1-2   0-1   1   1    8
S O'Neal            38 11-15  6-13  5-17   4   4   28
K Bryant            40  4-16 10-14   3-5  10   2   18
G Payton            34  8-14   3-4   1-4   3   0   20
L Walton            21   1-4   4-4   2-2   5   4    6
D George            10   0-6   3-3   2-3   0   2    3
K Rush              22  7-12   1-2   1-3   1   4   17
D Fisher            15   1-3   0-0   0-2   0   2    3
B Cook              11   0-1   0-0   0-2   1   3    0
B Russell           15   2-3   1-2   1-3   1   2    7
H Grant            DNP  - HIP FLEXOR STRAIN                              
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 39-84 32-48 20-50  26  27  117
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.464, FT-.667. 3-Point Goals:
7-21, .333 (R Fox 1-1, K Bryant 0-2, G Payton
1-2, L Walton 0-2, D George 0-3, K Rush 2-6, 
D Fisher 1-2, B Russell 2-3). Team Rebounds: 
16. Blocked Shots:1 (S O'Neal). Turnovers:12 
(S O'Neal 3, K Bryant 3, G Payton 2, D 
Fisher, S Medvedenko, K Rush, L Walton). 
Steals: 10 (K Bryant 3, S O'Neal 2, R Fox, D 
Fisher, B Cook, G Payton, B Russell).


BOSTON (109)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
J Welsch            24   3-6   2-2   0-2   1   1    8
B Hunter             6   1-1   1-2   1-2   0   1    3
M Blount            36   4-9   1-1  5-11   1   5    9
C Atkins            37  6-15   4-4   1-3   8   3   19
P Pierce            45  9-22  9-11   1-4   2   3   30
W Mccarty           16   1-4   1-1   0-0   3   5    3
R Davis             39 10-17   4-6   2-7   1   5   24
M Banks             13   2-3   2-2   1-2   1   2    6
C Mihm              17   2-4   3-4   1-7   1   4    7
J Jones              7   0-1   0-0   0-0   0   1    0
M Stewart          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
K Perkins          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 38-82 27-33 12-38  18  30  109
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.463, FT-.818. 3-Point Goals:
6-19, .316 (J Welsch 0-1, C Atkins 3-8, P 
Pierce 3-7, W Mccarty 0-1, R Davis 0-1, J 
Jones 0-1). Team Rebounds: 7. Blocked Shots:3
(R Davis, M Blount, C Mihm). Turnovers:15 (P 
Pierce 4, R Davis 3, C Atkins 2, M Banks 2, M
Blount, J Welsch, C Mihm, B Hunter). Steals: 
8 (R Davis 2, C Atkins 2, C Mihm 2, M Blount,
P Pierce).

--------------------------------------------
LA LAKERS            32  36  21  28   -  117
BOSTON               28  32  21  28   -  109
-------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: La Lakers - 2 (B Cook, 0:00 
1st; Defensive Three, 5:08 2nd). Boston - 3 
(R Davis, 0:00 1st; Defensive Three, 0:56 
1st; Defensive Three, 10:35 1st).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 18,624. T: 2:28. 
Officials: James Capers, Mark Wunderlich, 
Tony Brown.

Extended Box

 

LA LAKERS (117) AT BOSTON (109)

LA LAKERS

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
S MEDVEDENKO      F    16    2-6      3-4      5   3   8    0   3   0   1    7
R FOX             F    18    3-4      1-2      0   1   1    1   1   1   0    8
S O'NEAL          C    38   11-15     6-13     5  12  17    4   4   2   3   28
K BRYANT          G    40    4-16    10-14     3   2   5   10   2   3   3   18
G PAYTON          G    34    8-14     3-4      1   3   4    3   0   1   2   20
L WALTON               21    1-4      4-4      2   0   2    5   4   0   1    6
D GEORGE               10    0-6      3-3      2   1   3    0   2   0   0    3
K RUSH                 22    7-12     1-2      1   2   3    1   4   0   1   17
D FISHER               15    1-3      0-0      0   2   2    0   2   1   1    3
B COOK                 11    0-1      0-0      0   2   2    1   3   1   0    0
B RUSSELL              15    2-3      1-2      1   2   3    1   2   1   0    7
H GRANT               DNP  - HIP FLEXOR STRAIN                                        
  
TOTALS                240   39-84    32-48    20  30  50   26  27  10  12  117
                            (.464)  (.667)  TEAM REBS: 16 TOTAL TO: 13 (12 PTS)    

BOSTON

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
J WELSCH          F    24    3-6      2-2      0   2   2    1   1   0   1    8
B HUNTER          F     6    1-1      1-2      1   1   2    0   1   0   1    3
M BLOUNT          C    36    4-9      1-1      5   6  11    1   5   1   1    9
C ATKINS          G    37    6-15     4-4      1   2   3    8   3   2   2   19
P PIERCE          G    45    9-22     9-11     1   3   4    2   3   1   4   30
W MCCARTY              16    1-4      1-1      0   0   0    3   5   0   0    3
R DAVIS                39   10-17     4-6      2   5   7    1   5   2   3   24
M BANKS                13    2-3      2-2      1   1   2    1   2   0   2    6
C MIHM                 17    2-4      3-4      1   6   7    1   4   2   1    7
J JONES                 7    0-1      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   0    0
M STEWART             DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
K PERKINS             DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   38-82    27-33    12  26  38   18  30   8  15  109
                            (.463)  (.818)  TEAM REBS:  7 TOTAL TO: 15 (23 PTS)    
  
   LA LAKERS          32   36   21   28   -   117
   BOSTON             28   32   21   28   -   109
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: LA LAKERS - S O'NEAL.  BOSTON - R DAVIS, M BLOUNT, C MIHM.

3-PT. FIELD GOALS: LA LAKERS 7-21 (.333), R FOX 1-1, K BRYANT 0-2,
G PAYTON 1-2, L WALTON 0-2, D GEORGE 0-3, K RUSH 2-6, D FISHER 1-
2, B RUSSELL 2-3. BOSTON 6-19 (.316), J WELSCH 0-1, C ATKINS 3-8, P PIERCE 3-
7, W MCCARTY 0-1, R DAVIS 0-1, J JONES 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: LA LAKERS - B COOK, DEFENSIVE THREE. BOSTON - R 
DAVIS, DEFENSIVE THREE 2.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: JAMES CAPERS, MARK WUNDERLICH, TONY BROWN.
A - 18,624. T - 2:28.

Game Story

BOSTON (Ticker) -- A surprise start for Los Angeles Lakers 
superstar Kobe Bryant meant a predictable end to the six-game
winning streak of the Boston Celtics.

Bryant made an early return from a strained right shoulder and
collected 18 points and 10 assists as the Lakers cruised to a
117-109 victory over the Celtics.

Boston came in riding its longest winning streak of the season
and hoped to continue its unlikely late-season playoff push
against Los Angeles, which figured to be without Bryant.

The six-time All-Star guard re-injured his shoulder Friday and
was feared to be out as long as a month.  But Bryant refused to
go on the injured list and maintained he would return sooner
rather than later.

"It's not going to be fully healed for the rest of the season,"
Bryant said.  "But if I can go out there and help my teammates
and help them get easy shots, I will.  I felt that if I could
move my shoulder, catch the ball with no problem and pass the
ball with no problem and rebound with no problem, then why
shouldn't I be playing?  I wasn't restricted at all.  I still
had a full range of motion."

"We were assured that there was no damage that he could do to
his shoulder.  That's the big key," Lakers coach Phil Jackson
said.  "It's not like a dislocated shoulder. So that's good
news.  He's had some time off, so he has some live legs that can
help us against the better offensive players that Boston has."

Wearing a protective harness-type shirt under his jersey, Bryant
seemed somewhat affected by the injury as he made just 4-of-16
shots.  But he was effective enough to play a team-high 40
minutes and get to the line 14 times, making 10.

"I felt OK.  I felt all right," Bryant said.  "I was ready to
play.  They trust me, so we went with it.  (The doctor) did an
excellent job covering the areas where I was sensitive.  So if I
got hit in any part of it, it wasn't going to affect me."

Bryant's return made things easier on Shaquille O'Neal, who had
a dominant 28 points and 17 rebounds, and Gary Payton, who
scored 20 points.  The Lakers took the lead for good in the
second quarter and turned back every challenge by the Celtics.

Paul Pierce scored 30 points and Ricky Davis added 24 for the
Celtics (29-37), who fell into eighth place in the Eastern
Conference, one-half game ahead of Miami.

"We played well tonight against a team not at full strength but
a team that has some very good basketball players in Shaq, Kobe
and Payton," Celtics interim coach John Carroll said.  "We just
never seemed to be able to get enough stops."

In the first half, Boston shot 55 percent (23-of-42) but
trailed, 68-60.  LA played off O'Neal as Payton scored 16
points, Kareem Rush came off the bench to collect 14 of his 17
and Bryant added 10.

"When you have Shaq in the low post, it makes everybody on their
team just a little better," Carroll said.  "It makes their
perimeter guys hard to guard."

In the third quarter, Davis went in for an uncontested dunk.  He
tried to put the ball through his legs but lost it off the
backboard.  He recovered it and still had time to go in for a
one-handed windmill slam that cut the deficit to six points.

That was as close as Boston got as O'Neal asserted himself with
20 points in the second half.  His free throw gave the Lakers
their largest lead, 86-72, with 4:40 left in the third quarter.

O'Neal had 15 points in the final period, including two free
throws after the Celtics closed to 105-98 with 3 1/2 minutes to
go and a rim-rattling dunk that made it 113-105 with 1:17 left.

"They opened up Shaq late in the game, and when you got such an
inside person like that, you have to call for help," Pierce
said.  "The guys on the perimeter had a great shooting night and
they drew us out and worked an inside-outside game.  When they
do that, it's hard to defend."

In the second of a four-game road trip, LA shot 46 percent
(39-of-84), made 32-of-48 free throws and held a 50-38 advantage
on the glass.