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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Last time, Indiana ended the Los Angeles
Lakers' winning streak at 16. This time, the Pacers simply became
victim No. 14.
|  | | Shaq blocked two shots and scared away several others. |
Shaquille O'Neal had 31 points and 15 rebounds Friday night as the Lakers beat Indiana 107-92 to run their winning streak to 14.
The Pacers had ended the Lakers' 16-game winning streak with a
victory at Indianapolis in January.
"They played an excellent game at home and we didn't play that
well," O'Neal said.
Kobe Bryant added 22 points and had seven assists for Los Angeles, which took control early and remained comfortably in
front.
"We're just playing with a lot of confidence right now, but
there's still a lot of room for improvement," Bryant said. "It's
not really hard to keep the intensity level high when you're
playing against top-notch competition, because they provide so many
challenges for you."
The Lakers opened a 30-16 lead by the end of the first quarter,
and the Pacers got no closer than nine the rest of the way.
When Indiana threatened, moving within 82-73 early in the fourth
period, O'Neal took charge, scoring the Lakers' first nine points
of the quarter to help them pull away again.
Reserve Robert Horry added 14 points for the Lakers.
The Pacers' Reggie Miller didn't get his first basket until 3:05 before halftime, although he finished with 22 points.
Bryant said playing tight defense on Miller contributed to the Pacers' guard getting just five points in the first half, while Indiana was falling far behind.
"It was really putting the pressure on the guard up top so they couldn't get into their offensive sets," Bryant said. "Ron Harper
did a good job of chasing Miller into traffic and closing him off."
Miller, who took only six shots in the first two periods, said:
"In the first half, I wasn't aggressive enough, so I tried to be
more assertive going to the basket and looking for more
opportunities."
He took 11 shots in the second half.
The Lakers won the match of the team with the best record in the Western Conference against the team with the top mark in the East. Los Angeles improved to 21-2 against Eastern teams.
"In the first quarter, we had some pretty good looks at the
basket, but their defense got after us," Indiana coach Larry Bird
said. "They are a very good defensive team, and Shaq was just too
much for us in the middle."
The Pacers halted the Lakers' 16-game run, the league's longest
this season, with a 111-102 victory at Indianapolis on Jan. 14.
In that game, the Pacers made 22 of 23 free throws to 12 of 16
by the Lakers, and Indiana's bench outscored Los Angeles' 37-20.
This time, the Lakers were 26 of 36 from the line, while the Pacers were 21 of 26.
And the Lakers' reserves kept it much closer in that department,
contributing 31 points to 40 by Indiana, which got 12 from former
Laker Sam Perkins.
"I think it was important to beat them and split the series,
especially after losing to them at their place," said the Lakers'
Derek Fisher. "If we do face them in the finals, we'll have the confidence that we can win a game against them."
The Lakers draw another visitor from the other coast on Sunday, when they try to extend their streak to 15 straight in a matchup against Miami, which has the second-best record in the East.
After leading taking a 14-point lead into the second quarter, the Lakers extended it to 21 on Horry's jumper that made it 50-29 with 3:21 before halftime.
O'Neal had 16 points and 10 rebounds by halftime, when Los Angeles led 56-39.
He powered the Lakers to their early lead, scoring seven points during a 12-2 run over 2:22 span late in the opening period, as the Lakers opened a 28-12 lead.
O'Neal and Bryant outscored the entire Indiana team in the opening quarter, with O'Neal getting 11 and Bryant 8 and the Pacers scoring only 16.
Game notes
Indiana was coming off its worst defeat in nearly two
years, a 118-87 drubbing Thursday in Phoenix. ... The Pacers fell
to 13-17 on the road. They're a drastically different team at home,
where they are 26-2. The Lakers have been far more consistent,
going 21-7 on the road, 27-4 at home. ... The Lakers began their
winning streak after their worst loss of the season, 105-81 at San
Antonio. Los Angeles came back the next game to beat Utah 113-67,
the fewest points ever scored by a Lakers' opponent and Los
Angeles' most lopsided win since a 47-point romp over Miami in
1988.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Indiana Clubhouse
LA Lakers Clubhouse
RECAPS
Toronto 114
Boston 104
Atlanta 83
New York 70
Utah 89
Charlotte 87
Denver 122
Golden State 88
Portland 101
Vancouver 91
LA Lakers 107
Indiana 92
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