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Lakers-Bucks: 56k | 300k  |
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Los Angeles is averaging just under 98 points per game, with its All-Star duo of O'Neal and Bryant accounting for nearly 57. But the Lakers' bench came through as the three-time defending champions won their fourth straight meeting with the Bucks.
Rick Fox scored 14 points, Derek Fisher added 13 and Mark Madsen 12 for Los Angeles, which improved to 2-2 on a season-high six-game road trip.
The Bucks had a 64-49 halftime lead but matched a franchise low with eight points in the third quarter. The Lakers pulled into a 72-72 tie heading to the final period and took over down the stretch.
"We knew the whole time we were going to win the game," O'Neal said. "We needed this game and the guys played hard. It was good to see that we could hold them to eight points in the third quarter."
Milwaukee had an 87-86 lead with 4:50 remaining before Los Angeles scored eight of the next 10 points. Fox sank two free throws and followed baskets by O'Neal and Fisher with a runner for a 94-89 edge with 74 seconds to go.
Milwaukee's Michael Redd answered with a layup, but Bryant sealed the victory with a jumper over Gary Payton with 37 seconds left.
"That is what I was waiting for," Bryant said. "Gary Payton is smaller than me and I was able to elevate and get the shot I needed."
Fisher made 6-of-7 shots and Madsen was 5-of-6 from the floor for the Lakers, who shot 51 percent (36-of-70).
Los Angeles held a 46-30 rebounding advantage and outscored Milwaukee from the line, 20-6.
The Lakers did an excellent job on the Bucks' starting backcourt of Gary Payton and Sam Cassell, who combined for 26 points on 10-of-30 shooting.
"We just missed shots in the second half," Cassell said. "In the first half, we had a rhythm to our offense that we couldn't find in the second half."
Payton was held to eight points on 3-of-15 shooting and failed to reach double figures for the first time since February 7, 2001 - a span of 175 games.
"It was just a bad night," he said. "I can score whenever I want to score. I just need to forget this."
Redd scored 21 points and fellow reserve Toni Kukoc added 17 for Milwaukee, which lost despite making 10-of-23 3-pointers.
The Bucks began the second quarter with 15 consecutive points, including five from Redd. Desmond Mason added four points during the burst and capped it with a dunk for a 44-29 lead.
Kukoc scored nine points in the period, helping Milwaukee build a 15-point halftime lead. But the Bucks made just 3-of-13 shots in the third quarter as the Lakers stormed back.
"I didn't make shots in the third quarter. None of us did," said Cassell, who had five of Milwaukee's eight points in the third. "I couldn't believe the shots we were missing. They didn't do anything spectacular. It wasn't what they did, it was what we didn't do."
"The first half gave us a rhythm and a fast tempo," Bucks coach George Karl added. "This the way we wanted to play, and in the third quarter, they took it away. Anytime you score eight points against a great team, it builds confidence the opposite way."
O'Neal opened the second half with consecutive baskets as Los Angeles scored the first eight points of the third quarter. Robert Horry's hook shot forged a 71-71 tie with 58 seconds left and O'Neal made 1-of-2 free throws 35 seconds later to give the Lakers their first lead since the first quarter.
"It felt good to have a quarter like we did in the third," Bryant said. "We felt like they controlled the tempo early on and we took that back in the second half."