Bryant scored 34 points and O'Neal added 32 and 16 rebounds as the Lakers continued their march to
the postseason with a convincing 117-104 victory over the rival Kings.
In the regular-season finale of the NBA's best rivalry, both teams came in with five-game winning
streaks and were separated by just one point at halftime. Led by Bryant and O'Neal, the Lakers
thoroughly outplayed the Kings in the second half.
After a somewhat quiet first half, Bryant scored 22 points after halftime. He had 12 in the third
quarter, when the Lakers took the lead for good, despite O'Neal going scoreless.
O'Neal, who scored 19 points in the first half, returned with a vengeance in the final period. He
had three ferocious dunks and an alley-oop layup before leaving to a standing ovation in the final
minute.
Derek Fisher collected 17 points and eight assists for the three-time defending champion Lakers (48-
31), who are steamrolling to the postseason. They have won 13 of their last 16 games to catch
Minnesota for fifth place in the Western Conference.
