Box Score

 

PHOENIX (97)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
S Marion            37  5-12   1-1   0-4   3   4   13
A Stoudemire        26  4-11   2-4  6-10   0   5   10
S Williams          24   3-9   0-0   3-4   1   4    6
P Hardaway          23   5-9   0-0   0-3   2   2   10
S Marbury           45 12-27  6-10   0-2   6   1   32
J Voskuhl            7   0-2   1-1   0-2   2   5    1
J Johnson           32  4-10   2-2   0-2   1   2   12
B Outlaw            17   4-4   1-2   1-7   1   3    9
C Jacobsen          14   1-3   2-2   1-2   2   0    4
D Langhi             2   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
A Ford               3   0-1   0-0   0-0   0   1    0
R Brown             10   0-0   0-0   0-1   4   0    0
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 38-88 15-22 11-37  22  27   97
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.432, FT-.682. 3-Point Goals:
6-14, .429 (S Marion 2-3, P Hardaway 0-2, S 
Marbury 2-5, J Johnson 2-3, C Jacobsen 0-1). 
Team Rebounds: 9. Blocked Shots:  0.  
Turnovers:9 (A Stoudemire 5, S Marbury, S 
Marion, J Voskuhl, A Ford). Steals: 5 (R 
Brown 2, B Outlaw, S Marion, C Jacobsen).


LA LAKERS (109)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
R Fox               25   5-7   0-0   1-2   8   4   11
S Walker            18   0-2   5-8   4-9   0   2    5
S O'Neal            42 15-19  6-13  8-16   3   2   36
K Bryant            46 13-29   4-6  3-12   7   1   31
D Fisher            37   3-8   0-0   0-2   4   4    8
R Horry             23   3-5   3-3   1-4   2   3    9
D George            16   0-2   0-0   1-2   1   5    0
K Rush              22   2-5   0-0   0-5   2   2    5
T Murray             1   0-1   0-0   0-0   0   1    0
B Shaw              10   2-4   0-0   0-1   1   0    4
M Madsen           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
S Medvedenko       DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 43-82 18-30 18-53  28  24  109
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.524, FT-.600. 3-Point Goals:
5-17, .294 (R Fox 1-1, K Bryant 1-5, D Fisher
2-5, D George 0-1, K Rush 1-2, T Murray 0-1, 
B Shaw 0-2). Team Rebounds: 9. Blocked 
Shots:6 (S O'Neal 4, K Bryant, S Walker). 
Turnovers:16 (R Fox 5, S O'Neal 4, D George 
3, K Rush 2, K Bryant, B Shaw). Steals: 4 (K 
Bryant 2, S Walker, D George).

-------------------------------------------
PHOENIX              24  21  23  29   -  97
LA LAKERS            29  22  26  32   -  109
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: Phoenix - 2 (Defensive 
Three, 11:09 2nd; COACH Johnson, 6:40 4th). 
La Lakers - 1 (S O'Neal, 3:59 4th).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 18,642. T: 2:21. 
Officials: Bill Spooner, Gary Benson, Tommy 
Nunez.

Extended Box

 

PHOENIX (97) AT LA LAKERS (109)

PHOENIX

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
S MARION          F    37    5-12     1-1      0   4   4    3   4   1   1   13
A STOUDEMIRE      F    26    4-11     2-4      6   4  10    0   5   0   5   10
S WILLIAMS        C    24    3-9      0-0      3   1   4    1   4   0   0    6
P HARDAWAY        G    23    5-9      0-0      0   3   3    2   2   0   0   10
S MARBURY         G    45   12-27     6-10     0   2   2    6   1   0   1   32
J VOSKUHL               7    0-2      1-1      0   2   2    2   5   0   1    1
J JOHNSON              32    4-10     2-2      0   2   2    1   2   0   0   12
B OUTLAW               17    4-4      1-2      1   6   7    1   3   1   0    9
C JACOBSEN             14    1-3      2-2      1   1   2    2   0   1   0    4
D LANGHI                2    0-0      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    0
A FORD                  3    0-1      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   1    0
R BROWN                10    0-0      0-0      0   1   1    4   0   2   0    0
  
TOTALS                240   38-88    15-22    11  26  37   22  27   5   9   97
                            (.432)  (.682)  TEAM REBS:  9 TOTAL TO: 9 (7 PTS)      

LA LAKERS

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
R FOX             F    25    5-7      0-0      1   1   2    8   4   0   5   11
S WALKER          F    18    0-2      5-8      4   5   9    0   2   1   0    5
S O'NEAL          C    42   15-19     6-13     8   8  16    3   2   0   4   36
K BRYANT          G    46   13-29     4-6      3   9  12    7   1   2   1   31
D FISHER          G    37    3-8      0-0      0   2   2    4   4   0   0    8
R HORRY                23    3-5      3-3      1   3   4    2   3   0   0    9
D GEORGE               16    0-2      0-0      1   1   2    1   5   1   3    0
K RUSH                 22    2-5      0-0      0   5   5    2   2   0   2    5
T MURRAY                1    0-1      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   0    0
B SHAW                 10    2-4      0-0      0   1   1    1   0   0   1    4
M MADSEN              DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
S MEDVEDENKO          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   43-82    18-30    18  35  53   28  24   4  16  109
                            (.524)  (.600)  TEAM REBS:  9 TOTAL TO: 17 (17 PTS)    
  
   PHOENIX            24   21   23   29   -   97
   LA LAKERS          29   22   26   32   -   109
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: PHOENIX  - NONE, LA LAKERS - S O'NEAL 4, K BRYANT, S WALKER.

3-PT. FIELD GOALS: PHOENIX 6-14 (.429), S MARION 2-3, P HARDAWAY 0-
2, S MARBURY 2-5, J JOHNSON 2-3, C JACOBSEN 0-1. LA LAKERS 5-17 (.
294), R FOX 1-1, K BRYANT 1-5, D FISHER 2-5, D GEORGE 0-1, K RUSH 1-
2, T MURRAY 0-1, B SHAW 0-2.
TECHNICAL FOULS: PHOENIX - DEFENSIVE THREE, COACH JOHNSON. LA LAKERS -
S O'NEAL.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: BILL SPOONER, GARY BENSON, TOMMY NUNEZ.
A - 18,642. T - 2:21.

Game Story

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant made 
sure the Los Angeles Lakers got one from the Phoenix Suns.

O'Neal had a season-high 36 points and 16 rebounds and Bryant
added 31 and 12 as the Lakers turned back several rallies and
cruised to a 109-97 victory over the Suns.

In the finale of the weekend back-to-back series, the Lakers
turned the tables on the Suns, who won at home Saturday in
similar fashion despite a combined 62 points from O'Neal and
Bryant.

The superstar duo was much more efficient on its home floor. The
7-2 O'Neal was virtually unstoppable, making 15-of-19 shots.
Bryant made 13-of-29 shots and handed out seven assists.

"He (O'Neal) is starting to get himself in really good shape and
so we're feeling really comfortable with him out there on the
court," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.

"Shaquille played extremely well," Bryant said.  "We played a
pretty good game."

Unlike Saturday's game, O'Neal and Bryant also had some help.
The Lakers shot just 2-of-21 from 3-point range in Phoenix but
sank 5-of-17 in this one.  Derek Fisher and Rick Fox connected
from the arc down the stretch.

"I liked how Rick came in and played the second half," Jackson
said.  "Fish came back the second half and had a good second
half."

"With them stepping up and being aggressive, it makes the
defense pay," Bryant said.  "They can't just throw two guys at
myself or three guys on Shaquille.  They're going to make them
pay."

Stephon Marbury scored 32 points for the Suns, who got no closer
than seven points in the final period.

"They made shots, but Shaq was just a monster tonight," Marbury
said.  "They all played like the Lakers tonight."

"Those two guys (O'Neal and Bryant) are going to get whatever
they want," Suns coach Frank Johnson said.  "They are that good.
It's just when those other guys are chipping in as they did
tonight, it just makes it that more dangerous."

The Lakers never trailed after the first two minutes as Bryant
came out firing and made his first four shots.  He scored 13
points in the first quarter as LA grabbed a 29-24 lead.

"Phil stressed to us it was important to get off to a good
start," Bryant said.  "After I hit my first shot, I felt things
were flowing pretty well for me."

O'Neal scored 12 points in the second quarter, including a short
jumper that opened a 40-28 advantage early in the period.  With
forwards Shawn Marion and rookie Amare Stoudemire hampered by
foul trouble, the Suns had to feel fortunate in trailing just
51-45 at halftime.

Penny Hardaway's jumper made it 53-49 early in the third
quarter, but Phoenix got no closer as Marion and Stoudemire
picked up their fourth fouls.  O'Neal had a dunk and layup and
Fisher drilled a jumper to quickly rebuild the lead to 10
points.

A 3-pointer by Joe Johnson cut the deficit to 84-77 with 9:06
remaining, but Bryant sank a short jumper and O'Neal put in a
layup.  Marbury's runner made it 90-82 with 4:58 to go, but
Fisher and Fox sank 3-pointers around a dunk by O'Neal to make
it 98-86 with 3:26 left.

"Playing the same team two nights in a row, you don't ever want
to lose two games back-to-back in that situation," Fisher said.

Fox had 11 points and eight assists for the Lakers, who shot 52
percent (43-of-82) and held a 53-37 rebounding advantage.  Los
Angeles shot 30 free throws to 22 for Phoenix, which did not go
to the line until midway through the second quarter.

Marion scored 13 points, Johnson added 12 and Stoudemire 10 with
10 rebounds for the Suns, who shot 43 percent (38-of-88) and
committed just nine turnovers.