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  Saturday, Jan. 8 10:00pm ET
With 31 points, Kobe unstoppable
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

SEATTLE (AP) -- The Los Angeles Lakers put the clamps on Seattle to extend their winning streak to 14 games.

Kobe Bryant scored 31 points as the defensive-minded Lakers overcame a 19-point deficit to beat the SuperSonics 110-100 on Saturday night. Los Angeles raised its NBA-best record to 29-5 with its second victory of the season in Seattle.

Former Lakers forward Ruben Patterson scored 19 first-half points to help Seattle build a 68-49 lead in the first minute of the third quarter. But the Lakers shut Patterson and the Sonics down the rest of the way.

"We made some defensive adjustments and made it more difficult for them and they ran dry," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.

The Sonics were 5-for-16 from the field in the third quarter, and the Lakers scored nine points off seven Sonics turnovers in that period.

The Lakers, down 68-49 in the first minute of the third quarter, outscored the Sonics 34-10 during the rest of the quarter to take an 83-78 lead in the fourth quarter. Glen Rice had 15 points in the third period, and the Lakers forced Patterson into four turnovers.

"We knew that if we didn't pick up the pace defensively and get into our offense that we were going to get embarrassed," Rice said.

Even Jackson was surprised his team overcame the deficit and reclaimed the lead so quickly.

"I didn't think they would come back so fast. It was an outstanding quarter," he said.

Los Angeles continued the onslaught by outscoring the Sonics 21-5 to start the fourth period and took a 104-83 lead on Rice's 3-pointer for a 104-83 lead with four minutes left.

Rice finished with 24 points, and Shaquille O'Neal added 23.

Vin Baker led the Sonics with 31 points, Gary Payton had 23 points and Ruben Patterson added 21.

Baker scored 10 of the Sonics' points in their woeful third period. Payton had the other two.

Sonics coach Paul Westphal said his team celebrated too soon.

"After the first half, we were all happy like we won something," Westphal said. "We talked about it at halftime, but we didn't come out in the second half."

The Lakers outscored Seattle 61-34 in the second half. Until a late flurry after the Lakers led 104-83, it appeared the Sonics had a good chance to equal their record low of 27 points in a half.

The Lakers' depth was key.

Derek Fisher hit a basket to put the Lakers up 78-76 and added a 3-pointer for an 83-78 advantage.

Payton took the inbounds pass with 1.7 seconds left in the quarter. He was so frustrated that he held the ball until the clock sounded and then flung the ball to the floor in disgust and walked to the bench.

Patterson boasted when he was signed by the Sonics that he was a "Kobe-Stopper." Neither Patterson nor any of the Sonics slowed down Bryant, who was 11-for-18 from the field.

"He knows he can't stop me," Bryant said. "We've been down 20 at half before," Bryant said. "We just made some technical adjustments at halftime."

Patterson appeared to have spent all his energy in the first half. He had two points, one rebound and four turnovers in 14 minutes in the second half.

"Ruben was having a field day in the first half and playing like an All-Star," O'Neal said. "We decided to start rebounding and taking better shots in the second half."

"It was disappointing," Patterson said, who didn't share his feelings about a big first half against his former team.

Game notes
Three former Oregon State players started -- Gary Payton and Brent Barry for the Sonics and A.C. Green for the Lakers. ... Barry's minutes were limited after he drew two fouls in the game's first 28 seconds. ...The Sonics equaled the most points in a half with their 66 points, which they scored against Vancouver on Dec. 18. ... The Sonics outrebounded the Lakers, the league's top rebounding team, 27-20 in the first half.

 


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