Shaq, Suns overcome Kobe to beat Lakers 118-111

[March 02, 2009]  PHOENIX (AP) -- Shaquille O'Neal scored 33 points and the Phoenix Suns overcame a 49-point performance by Kobe Bryant to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 118-111 on Sunday.

Matt Barnes added 26 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as the Suns, without Steve Nash for the third straight game because of a sprained right ankle, beat the Lakers for the first time in four tries this season.

Pau Gasol added 30 for the Lakers, who have lost two in a row for just the third time this season.

After his 45-point game against Toronto on Friday night, O'Neal has consecutive 30-point games for the first time since March 5-7, 2004, when he and Bryant were dominating teammates in Los Angeles.

Bryant made 18 of a season-high 38 attempts in the 96th 40-point game of his career. He scored 17 points in a span of less than four minutes early in the second half.

Leandro Barbosa added 22 points and Grant Hill 17 for the Suns, who improved to 6-2 since Alvin Gentry replaced the fired Terry Porter and returned the team to Mike D'Antoni's fast-paced style. It was the Gentry-led Suns' first win, though, over a team with a winning record.

Phoenix is 1 1/2 games behind Dallas for the eighth and final playoff berth in the West.

Barnes scored seven in a row to put Phoenix ahead 114-103 with 1:26 to play. He started the spurt with two free throws, sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key, then added two more from the foul line.

The Lakers finished with an 8-1 spurt but ran out of time in a game they trailed most of the way.

Phoenix led by as many as 15 in the first half were up by 10 at the break.

Then, Bryant scored his remarkable 17 in a 19-2 Lakers' outburst that erased a 12-point deficit and put Los Angeles ahead 75-70 on his 3-pointer with 6:24 left in the third quarter. Bryant made two 3s and converted a three-point play on a driving layup and foul by O'Neal during the surge.

It was a short-lived advantage.

After a time out, Phoenix scored the next 13 to go up 83-75 on O'Neal's three-point play with 3:33 left in the quarter. Robin Lopez blocked Jordan Farmar's layup try, leading to a breakaway layup by Barbosa at the buzzer that put the Suns ahead 91-81 entering the final quarter.

With Bryant on the bench, the Lakers started the fourth with a 11-2 run. Trevor Ariza made to 3-pointers and Sasha Vujacic one. Josh Powell's 14-footer cut Phoenix's lead to 94-92 with 10:26 remaining.

Los Angeles cut the lead to three on three occasions before Jason Richardson over-his-head layup and O'Neal's basket over Gasol put the Suns ahead 106-99 with 4:45 left.

The Lakers' Lamar Odom fouled out with 8:31 to play after scoring four points on 2-for-3 shooting in 23 minutes.

Notes: Nash planned to give the ankle a try, but was scratched from the lineup shortly before tipoff. ... The Lakers' only first-half lead was at 2-0. ... The Suns begin a four-game, six-day road trip Tuesday night at Orlando. ... Phoenix is 4-4 without Nash this season. ... The Lakers last lost two in a row Jan. 14-16, at San Antonio and home against Orlando. ... The Lakers won the season series with Phoenix 3-1 for the second year in a row.

[Associated Press; By BOB BAUM]

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