[0] L.A. PUTS ON A KOBE CLINIC; BRYANT SHINES WITH MJ IN THE BUILDING LAKERS 130, DENVER 95.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

Has the crowd stopped gasping for air yet? Has the wave stopped? Did they wake up this morning with visions of Kobe Bryant's acrobatics still dancing in their heads?

Have the Lakers ever looked better? And will the Denver Nuggets ever recover?

In a season already filled with superlatives, the Lakers reached yet new heights Monday night - and in Bryant's case, quite literally, as he glided and dunked the Nuggets into submission.

Bryant scored 30 points, 27 in the first half, and almost all of it in dazzling fashion, as the Lakers rolled to a 130-95 victory at Staples Center, extending their winning streak to 15 games.

The Lakers' 72-point first half put the Nuggets away, and Bryant's dunk, pass and shoot clinic simply destroyed their morale. Michael Jordan was present for the events, but coach Phil Jackson had a loftier comparison in mind when assessing Bryant.

``He was Michelangelo tonight in many ways,'' Jackson said. ``He did some beautiful things out there on the court. He had a great sense of awareness, his timing was great, defense, and he did some offensive things that were spectacular. He was a step ahead of everybody else at times.''

Bryant's night also included four steals, four assists and seven rebounds in 36 minutes, as he made up for lost time and a lost game - the Lakers were defeated at Denver when Bryant was injured in November.

The Lakers' 130 points and margin of victory were both season highs. So was the 43-point first quarter and the 72-point first half.

One almost didn't notice the Lakers' other MVP candidate just miss a triple-double - Shaquille O'Neal finished with 30 points, 19 rebounds, a career-high nine assists and five blocked shots in just 32 minutes.

``We just had to go. We just wanted to bury them, try to put this game out of reach,'' Bryant said, ``and by getting the crowd involved, hopefully I can demoralize them a little bit more.''

Bryant dunked for his first points of the night, stuffed a breakaway, 180-degree jam for his second score and hit a pull-up 3-pointer to show off his perimeter game, and the 18,997 in attendance could hardly contain themselves.

Another 3-pointer and a fadeaway later, and the Lakers had taken a 43-18 lead by the end of one quarter. Bryant was 7 for 7 from the field and had 17 points.

For an encore, he opened the second quarter by dribbling out to the arc and turning around to his another 3-pointer. He fed a behind-the-back pass to baseline-driving Devean George on the fast break. He finished another break with a one-handed jam.

Then, as if to show there's nothing he can't do, Bryant drained a 34-footer as the shot clock expired to close out the half.

``Kobe was unbelievable,'' Nuggets coach Dan Issel said. ``I mean, when he shoots a jump shot from halfcourt and it goes in, you just kind of know it's his night.''

Jackson advised the 21-year-old to let the game come to him in the second half, and a calm, methodical Bryant slowed the pace before turning the reins over to the bench. By then, the Nuggets were deflated.

``It does take the wind out of another team,'' Glen Rice, who scored 19 points, said of Bryant's performance. ``One of the things we try not to do is get into a lull by watching him, but it was kind of hard not to. I was amazed.''

So The Streak rolls on, and though logic says it must end somewhere, the Lakers' play suggests they might make history. But they need 18 more victories to reach the NBA-record 33-game streak set by the 1971-72 Lakers. And Jackson doesn't see that happening.

``No. I don't think it's possible anymore,'' he said. ``That year (when the Lakers won 33) there were three expansion teams in the league, and it really changed the league. There was still the ABA in existence at that time, so there were 28 or 30 teams . . . and then a dilution of talent that one year, and it changed a lot of things that were going around.''

Of course, Jackson never envisioned a 15-game streak either.

``Well, we talked about 10,'' he said.

DIARY OF A STREAK

A look back at the Fab 14, which began after a 103-91 loss in Sacramento on Dec. 8:

--1. Sat., Dec. 11: Lakers 106, Vancouver 94 @ GM Place

It wasn't pretty, but it erased loss to Kings, L.A.'s first in 17 days

Shaq factor: 30 pts., 10 rebs., 3 blks

--2. Sun., Dec. 12: Lakers 101, Detroit 93 @ Staples Center

Shaq held in check (yeah right), Kobe and Rick Fox shoot lights out

Shaq factor: 22 pts., 24 rebs., 4 blks

--3. Tue., Dec. 14: Lakers 95, Clippers 68 @ Staples Center

Clippers held to 19 points in first half, an NBA record. Ouch

Shaq factor: 21 pts., 19 rebs., 3 blks

--4. Thurs., Dec. 16: Lakers 95, Atlanta 88 @ Phillips Arena

Kobe has 30, Shaq says (bleep) you very much to refs and is ejected

Shaq factor: 9 pts., 13 rebs., 1 blk

--5. Fri., Dec 17: Lakers 97, Minnesota 88 @ Target Center

Kobe, Shaq & Rice combine for 75 points, team has 28 assists

Shaq factor: 24 pts., 13 rebs., 2 blks

--6. Sun., Dec. 19: Lakers 94, Toronto 88 @ Air Canada Centre 

L.A. had lost to Vince & Co. the previous month. Efficient revenge.

Shaq factor: 24 pts., 15 rebs., 5 blks

--7. Mon., Dec. 20: Lakers 99, Boston 90 @ Fleet Center

Five road games, five wins. L.A. earned it against Celtics' pressure D

Shaq factor: 34 pts., 20 rebs., 2 blks

--8. Sat., Dec. 25: Lakers 99, San Antonio 93 @ Staples Center

With visions of playoffs dancing in their heads, Rice and four days off are difference

Shaq factor: 32 pts., 11 rebs., 5 blks

--9. Mon., Dec. 27: Lakers 108, Dallas 106 @ Staples Center

Shaking off a Spurs hangover just in time, Shaq & Kobe free throws win it

Shaq factor: 35 pts., 14 rebs., 3 blks

--10. Wed., Dec. 29: Lakers 103, Phoenix 87 @ Staples Center

Streak reaches double-digits in last game of 1900s, and 17 wins in last 18.

Shaq factor: 27 pts., 19 rebs., 5 blks

--11. Tue., Jan. 4: Lakers 122, Clippers 98 @ Staples Center

A Clips home game, but since when is that an issue?

Shaq factor: 38 pts., 15 rebs., 3 blks

--12. Wed., Jan. 5: Lakers 118, Clippers 101 @ Staples Center

An even dozen in a row - overall and against the L.A. junior varsity 

Shaq factor: 40 pts., 19 rebs., 2 blks

--13. Fri., Jan 7: Lakers 87, Charlotte 83 @ Staples Center

Rice steps up vs. old team, Ed-die couldn't do same in street clothes

Shaq factor: 23 pts., 16 rebs., 4 blks

--14. Sat., Jan. 8: Lakers 110, Seattle 100 @ KeyArena

Almost Streakless in Seattle after trailing by 19. Yeah, right.

Shaq factor: 23 pts., 9 rebs., 1 blk

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo: (1 -- color) Guard Tyronn Lue, the ex-Denver first-round draft pick who came to the Lakers as part of the Nick Van Exel trade, has emerged as a fan favorite despite sitting out because of injury.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer

(2) Raef LaFrentz (45) and Denver tried everything they could to stop Kobe Bryant (8), but he still scored 30 points in the Lakers' 15th consecutive victory.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer

Box: (1) DIARY OF A STREAK (see text)

(2) GAME RECAP