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Tuesday, Feb. 13 7:30pm ET
Bryant has final say when it counts

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- With Kobe Bryant and Stephon Marbury going head-to-head again like they did in the All Star game, the return of Shaquille O'Neal turned out to be just a very good sideshow.

Stephon Marbury
Stephon Marbury's career-high 50 points and season-high 12 assists weren't enough to beat L.A.

Bryant's three-point play with 4.8 seconds left in overtime outdid Marbury's career-high 50 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Jersey Nets 113-110 Tuesday night.

Bryant's heroics came just two days after Marbury buried two big 3-pointers in the final minute to lead the East over the West in the NBA All Star game.

"I told (Nets coach) Byron (Scott) that there was no way I was going to miss the game-winning shot two games in a row," Bryant said after his 38-point performance gave the Lakers their fourth straight win.

Marbury, who hit 17 of 29 shots and tied his season high with 12 assists, had a chance to tie the game, but his 33-foot shot from straight on bounced off the front of the rim, ending the Nets' season-high three-game winning streak.

When asked if there was anything else he might have done, Marbury had a quick answer.

"I could have made that final 3-pointer," he said. "I wish."

Marbury downplayed the All-Star comparison.

"The All-Star game is over," said the point guard, whose previous career high was 42 against Vancouver on Jan. 27, 2000. "This just goes to show we can go out and play with anyone if we play like this."

Playing for the first time since a foot injury in late January, O'Neal played 43 minutes and had 32 points, 14 rebounds and one crucial block on Marbury in overtime.

"He played pretty well," Bryant said of O'Neal. "His timing was a little off. That block at the end was big, but that's what he does for us."

Trailing 110-107 with 1:21 to play in overtime, the Lakers found an unconventional way to tie the game. After O'Neal hit one of two free throws, he blocked a drive by Marbury.

Tyronn Lue, who had not scored all night, then drove from midcourt and hit a high-arcing layup over Keith Van Horn to tie the game with 36.8 seconds to play.

Lucious Harris missed a 3-pointer with about 20 seconds to play, setting up the Bryant's final shot. Starting on the right wing, he dribbled toward the foul line, did a reverse spin and then drove the lane, powering his shot over rookie Kenyon Martin. He added the free throw for the final margin.

"Kobe was pressing a little bit at the end," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We told him to let it come to him and he really stepped up on that last shot. It was exactly what we were looking for."

The Lakers seemed to have the game in hand after Bryant banked in a short shot with 4:14 in regulation for a 100-88 lead.

But Marbury had other ideas. He hit two free throws and converted a three-point play and fed a wide-open Van Horn for a 3-pointer that cut the lead to 100-96 with 2:00 to play.

Bryant appeared to put two daggers in the Nets' comeback hopes, sandwiching a rebound follow and a reverse layup around two free throws by Marbury, giving Los Angeles a 104-98 lead with 64 seconds to go.

After an offensive rebound, Marbury hit a high-arcing 3-pointer to narrow the lead to three points with 50.5 seconds to go, then tied the game with another 3-sky-high 3-pointer with 27 seconds left after a turnover by Lue near midcourt.

"He's always been a great player," O'Neal said of Marbury. "He probably should have been an All-Star the last four years. With the new rules, you can't stop him."

Bryant had a chance to put the Lakers ahead in the closing seconds, but he misfired on a jumper from the top of the key.

Van Horn added 20 points for New Jersey, which also got 13 rebounds from Jaime Feick.

The Lakers led 74-71 after a wild third quarter that featured spurts of 9-4 and 17-2 by Los Angeles and 20-4 and 8-0 by New Jersey.

Game notes
Marbury became the first New Jersey player to score 50 since Ray Williams had 52 against Detroit in April, 1982. ... The first half had a weird ending, with Ron Harper fouling Nets forward Aaron Williams on a 25-footer with less than a second to go. After Williams made the first free throw, Lakers coach Phil Jackson was called for a technical. Johnny Newman converted that, but Williams missed the last two shots, leaving the Lakers ahead 44-37. ... The Nets had their second sellout of the season. ... It was New Jersey's first overtime game this season.

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Shaq returns with a vengeance against Nets


RECAPS
Charlotte 77
Indiana 66

Toronto 120
Cleveland 105

Miami 101
LA Clippers 99

LA Lakers 113
New Jersey 110

Philadelphia 107
Milwaukee 104

Sacramento 97
Utah 94

Chicago 96
Atlanta 92

Houston 99
Washington 89

San Antonio 104
Dallas 92

Denver 96
New York 77

Portland 109
Minnesota 88

Vancouver 99
Boston 98

Phoenix 93
Golden State 83

AUDIO/VIDEO
audio
 Coming off a foot injury, Shaquille O'Neal was anxious to start the second half of the season.
wav: 119 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6

 The Lakers' Kobe Bryant felt a few mental errors kept the Nets in the game.
wav: 104 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6

FROM
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Kobe Bryant Official Site

Rick Fox Official Site

Mark Madsen Official Site


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