A FAMILIAR LOOK TO IT BRYANT'S THIRD-QUARTER OUTBURST IGNITES LAKERS LAKERS 97, WASHINGTON 91.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

The theme of the night centered on returning home and seeing old friends, both for the Lakers in being back at Staples Center for the first time in 12 days and forward Kwame Brown in facing his former team for the first time in the regular season.

There were twin missions as well Friday night against the Washington Wizards. For the Lakers, it was to defend their home court after a stellar road trip. For Brown, it was to prove something to the team with which he spent four turbulent seasons.

Yet in the middle of everything was the blur of Kobe Bryant, taking over a second consecutive game in the third quarter. Bryant scored 18 of his game-high 41 points in the quarter as the Lakers pulled away for an eventual 97-91 victory.

The Lakers returned home from a 5-1 road trip determined to sweep three games at Staples Center, where they had won just four of nine games this season.

Brown finished with six points and nine rebounds, and hit the second of two free throws with 49.3 seconds to help clinch the win.

Bryant was spectacular in the third quarter, blowing past Gilbert Arenas along the baseline on the way to a reverse layup. He pulled up for jumpers in traffic and drove through the entire Wizards defense before throwing down a dunk to put the Lakers in front 66-60.

He finished with 18 points in the quarter - one shy of his season-high in a quarter - and connected on 8 of 10 shots. The rest of the Lakers combined for 10 points as Bryant put the team on his shoulders.

Bryant even got angry when the ball didn't come in his direction. He had a mismatch against Chucky Atkins on the perimeter but Brian Cook elected instead to throw a pass inside to Chris Mihm, who had the ball stolen by Caron Butler.

On his way downcourt, Bryant gave a long stare in Cook's direction. And Bryant might have turned in the play of the game only a minute later, beating Arenas to a loose ball and banking in a shot from 14 feet.

The only thing that could rescue a game in which both teams combined to shoot 71 free throws was a showdown between Bryant and Wizards guard Arenas, the former Grant High of Van Nuys product.

The two both were selected third-team all-NBA last season - too low for Bryant in coach Phil Jackson's mind - and a sign of Arenas' ascendance in the league. Arenas led the Wizards with 29 points.

Bryant got going at the start of the second half, knocking down a 3-pointer and using a Chris Mihm pick to slip through the lane and finish an alley-oop pass from Smush Parker.

The Lakers got good minutes out of their second unit with Bryant and Lamar Odom on the bench to start the second quarter. They used an 8-0 run to open a 27-22 lead, the highlight coming as Sasha Vujacic stripped Atkins of the ball and found Laron Profit for a layup.

But the Lakers starters gave back the entire lead and went into halftime trailing 47-42. Arenas got hot for the Wizards, posting up Parker for one basket, getting to the line for a pair of free throws and draining a 3-pointer over Bryant.

Brown's confidence was high considering he was only playing his fourth game after missing three weeks to a hamstring injury. But the 23-year-old forward was coming off strong efforts against Dallas and Memphis in the Lakers' two previous games.

It was the first regular season game for Brown against the Wizards, the team that drafted him No. 1 overall out of high school in 2001 and the team that suspended him for the rest of the playoffs in the spring. Brown faced Washington once during the exhibition season.

Ross Siler, [phone]

ross.siler(at)dailynews.com

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Lakers' Kobe Bryant goes over the Wizards' Gilbert Arenas for two of his 41 points Friday night.

(2) Lakers center Chris Mihm gives the Wizards' Brendan Haywood a facial with his left hand while scoring.

(3) Kwame Brown, playing against his former team, scored six points and had nine rebounds, shooting against the Wizards' Etan Thomas.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer