Bryant has an off night, but backup guard sparks come-from-behind victory. | From Los Angeles Times - News from Los Angeles, California and the World

By Mike Bresnahan, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

November 17, 2007

Be it the NBA Finals or an early-season game with two starters sitting out, the Detroit Pistons have been the stickiest of sticking points for the Lakers.

The Lakers scored 41 four-quarter points against one of the league's top defenses and took a 103-91 victory Friday at Staples Center.

Jordan Farmar was an absolute catalyst, Kobe Bryant recovered just in time from a miserable shooting night and Vladimir Radmanovic stole a page from Vlade Divac's playbook by applying unexpected kisses on the court.

They had fun, they had gumption and they had themselves a rare victory over Detroit.

Coach Phil Jackson kept using the word "energetic," and it would be tough to argue.

"There was a lot of energy," Bryant said. "In this type of ballgame you have to dig deep. I think we grew a lot tonight."

The Pistons were without injured starters Chauncey Billups (sore knee) and Antonio McDyess (strained shoulder), but showed the Lakers a thing or two about defense, trudging and elbowing their way to a 68-62 lead after three quarters and apparently on the way to their 12th victory in the last 15 games against the Lakers.

Then came the fourth quarter, in which the Lakers scored more points than the 32 they had in the entire second half in their victory Wednesday in Houston.

The Lakers trailed, 74-73, when Farmar scored with 7:39 to play on a layup off a Luke Walton steal. Then Farmar had two steals near halfcourt, one that led to a Maurice Evans dunk and the other an Andrew Bynum dunk.

The Lakers never trailed again.

"He's been doing that all year," said Lamar Odom, who had 25 points and 15 rebounds. "He worked really hard during the summer. He's getting better and better."

With a 5-3 record, the Lakers' ledger now shows victories over Phoenix, Utah, Houston and Detroit, teams expected to be near the top of their respective conferences when the playoffs roll around.

Some of the scores against the Pistons in recent seasons weren't too pretty for the Lakers: 103-81, 111-90, 93-78, 97-83, 111-88, 88-68, all in Detroit's favor.

The Lakers haven't only struggled as a team against the Pistons.

Bryant averaged 18.5 points and shot 41.7% in two losses to Detroit last season, games in which Jackson conceded, "They smoked us."

The main problem for Bryant had been lanky Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince, whose height (6 feet 9) and wingspan are longer than most shooting guards.

"Kobe's got to do something different in this game," Jackson said beforehand.

Actually, the Pistons did something different, putting Richard Hamilton on Bryant most of the game.

Bryant shot terribly, making two of 14 going into the fourth quarter. He had eight points at the time.

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