Kobe Bryant 38 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists vs. Mavericks; December 3, 2000

Remember adding &fmt=18 at the end of the URL if HQ isn't available for my videos. Associated Press: Hack-a-Shaq made life difficult for the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night. However, as coach Phil Jackson put it, they survived. Kobe Bryant scored 23 of his 38 points in the second half, and also had 10 rebounds and six assists as the Lakers continued their domination over Dallas by beating the Mavericks 99-97. O'Neal added 25 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, but was only 5-of-19 from the free throw line, and spent time on the bench late in the game when it was obvious Dallas wanted to foul him intentionally to send him to the line. O'Neal had no problem with the strategy. "I think it was a good move on Phil's part," he said. "We have a lot of weapons on this team. Kobe played another fabulous game, and the role players played well, too. We just have to fight through all the strategies." Mavericks coach Don Nelson has used similar strategy in the past, angering O'Neal. He didn't seem upset this time, except maybe at himself. "I just have to try to go to the line and concentrate a little more," he said. "It almost worked tonight. I just have to go to the line and hit them." While O'Neal might not have been upset, Nelson certainly was. "I would like the league to evaluate this game film and give us an explanation why every break was given to the Lakers in the fourth quarter," he said. "I am not a complainer. ... We deserved to win tonight. When you deserve to win, you should win. We played our hearts out, showed a lot of intestinal fortitude in the fourth quarter." The Lakers, who have beaten Dallas 20 straight times at home dating back nearly 10 years and won 35 of the last 38 games between the teams, led by as many as 12 points in the final period before the Mavericks rallied, getting as close as one point three times. But in the end, with O'Neal on the bench, it was mainly a case of too much Bryant, who i still bothered by an upper respiratory infection. "My energy felt good, I just had trouble breathing," he said. "I'm just out there playing, playing within the flow, getting some easy baskets in transition, having a good time. I feel like I can play all day long." Bryant scored six straight Los Angeles points in a span of 39 seconds to give the Lakers a 95-90 lead with 35 seconds remaining. Two foul shots each by Robert Horry and Isaiah Rider after that kept the Lakers safely ahead. Dirk Nowitzki's 3-pointer at the final buzzer made it a two-point game. "I haven't seen Shaq that inadequate from the line this season," Jackson said. "But we survived it and we'll go on from there." Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Michael Finley scored 22 points, and Howard Eisley added 14 points and 10 assists for Dallas. Bryant, who scored a career-high 43 points two nights earlier, followed in a missed shot as the third quarter was ending to give the Lakers a 71-63 lead, and a 10-4 run put them ahead 81-69 with 7 1/2 minutes remaining. With the Lakers leading 83-75 and 5:20 to play, the Mavericks intentionally fouled O'Neal, and he missed both free throws. He then committed his fourth foul and was taken out, and the Mavericks scored the next seven points five by Nowitzki to draw within one point. O'Neal returned with 1:50 remaining intentional fouls away from the ball aren't allowed in the final two minutes and the Lakers leading 89-88. However, he was fouled with 1:36 to play after getting an offensive rebound, missed another two free throws, and went to the bench shortly later. The Mavericks then committed a turnover before Bryant made two straight baskets to make it 93-88. "A couple calls go our way towards the end and the game's a different story," Dallas center Shawn Bradley said.

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