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Remember Kobe's first appearance in Phoenix this season? Better get rid of the boo birds if you want to continue to fantasize about Kobe playing for the Suns. Kobe has a better chance of playing in Sacramento next season than in Phoenix.
GAME DAY RECAP Saturday, November 01
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PHOENIX (AP) -- Kobe Bryant endured the boos, appreciated the cheers and tried to shake off the rust in his return to the Los Angeles Lakers' lineup.
Bryant made his first regular-season appearance Saturday night, scoring 15 points -- including three free throws in the final 66 seconds -- to help the Los Angeles Lakers' All-Star lineup hold off the Phoenix Suns 103-99.
He received mostly boos, but some cheers, when he was introduced, and was booed by some nearly every time he touched the ball. But there were Laker fans, too, in the capacity crowd, and he got some cheers, too.
"I expected the worst," Bryant said. "To hear anyone cheering felt good."
A few days earlier, Shaquille O'Neal and Bryant were exchanging verbal jabs through the media. Now, O'Neal feels Bryant will withstand any negative crowd response.
"We've been booed before, so a boo is nothing new to Kobe," O'Neal said. "It's nothing new to us. That's not going to break him. Nothing's going to break him. He's a tough little kid."
Bryant missed a free throw with 10.9 seconds to go and the Lakers leading 102-99, giving the Suns a chance to tie it. But Amare Stoudemire, not known for his outside shooting, missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
Phoenix coach Frank Johnson said Stoudemire should have passed to Casey Jacobsen.
"Casey was wide open," Johnson said. "All we had to do was make one more pass. But that's a young player."
The Suns' Shawn Marion got the rebound, but went up for a shot instead of passing it out for another 3-point try. He missed, and Karl Malone grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He sank one of two free throws with 2.3 seconds left to clinch it.
Bryant shot 4-of-12 from the field and 7-of-10 from the foul line in 37 minutes -- far more than he had expected to play.
"You know what, that was about the easiest 37 minutes I've ever played," Bryant said. "When you're out there playing with so many great players, it makes the game so much easier."
Bryant didn't play in the season opener Wednesday because of weakness in his surgically repaired right knee.
"I wasn't expecting to come out here and have a stellar game, you know what I mean," Bryant said. "I was going to come out and just play and try to help contribute where I can, just kind of go with the flow. It would be a little unrealistic for me to expect a huge game."
Lakers coach Phil Jackson thought Bryant was hesitant, especially early.
"He got a little more aggressive as the game went on," Jackson said. "I thought he was surprised by some passes, but that's going to happen with this team. He played 12 more minutes than we anticipated, but he was fine."
O'Neal had 24 points and 12 rebounds, Gary Payton added 19 points and nine assists and Malone had 18 points and 12 boards for Los Angeles. Devean George added 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Stephon Marbury led the Suns with 26 points and 11 assists.
Joe Johnson, who scored 20, sank a 3-pointer with 3:04 to go to give the Suns their only lead 94-93, then made another one to tie it at 97 with 1:19 remaining. He missed a 15-footer that would have tied it with 21 seconds to go.
Penny Hardaway had 15 points off the bench for Phoenix but fouled out late. Marion had 15 points and 11 rebounds but was 6-for-23 from the field. Stoudemire scored 13.
The Lakers' final eight points came on free throws. They were 27-for-39 at the line. Phoenix was 15-for-15.
The Suns trailed by as many as 15 points in the first quarter and led just once, 94-93 on Johnson's 3-pointer with 3:04 left.
But Malone sank a 20-footer, the Lakers' last field goal, to put Los Angeles up for good -- 95-94 with 2:42 left. Malone made two from the line to make it 97-94 with 1:13 to go, but Johnson's 3-pointer tied it at 97-97 with 1:19 to go.
Bryant's two free throws put Los Angeles up for good, 99-97 with 1:06 to play, then Payton made two from the line to put Los Angeles ahead 101-97 with 15.5 seconds left.