BROWN PROVIDING `BIG PRESENCE' CENTER HELPS LAKERS IMPROVE TO 8-1 AT STAPLES LAKERS 99, NEW JERSEY 93.

Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer

The challenge for Kwame Brown always has been to slow down when he's on the court, to avoid rushing his moves with the ball in his hands.

Then a shoulder injury left Brown uncertain about how long he would take to get up to speed this season.

It was an injury that cost Brown not only the starting center job but also the season's first seven games. The shoulder still is not pain-free, but Brown now has delivered in three consecutive games for the Lakers.

The Lakers were better late than early in a 99-93 victory Sunday night over the New Jersey Nets at Staples Center. Brown built on his fourth quarter from Friday's game at Utah to finish with 13 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 25 minutes.

``I feel good,'' Brown said. ``My energy's picking up. The guys are starting to look for me a little more. That's the key, just getting in sync with them. I'm not trying to slow them down to me, I'm trying to catch up to them.''

It was enough for the Lakers to improve to 8-1 at home this season, generating positive momentum with their next seven games, all at Staples Center. Six players finished in double figures, including Brown and rookie guard Jordan Farmar off the bench.

With two and three defenders surrounding him, Kobe Bryant had 19 points on 8-of-24 shooting. But Bryant found his teammates for a season-high 10 assists and locked in on Vince Carter on the defensive end, holding the Nets' star to 21 points.

The Nets closed to 88-86 with 4 1/2 minutes left before Bryant shook off a series of no-calls and drilled a 19-footer. He helped force a turnover and Lamar Odom, who finished with 21 points, connected on a 3-pointer to put the Lakers ahead by seven.

Bryant moved the ball to Luke Walton for a 3-pointer with 1:53 remaining and pumped both fists in elation. Smush Parker then stripped Jason Kidd, who had seven points and 16 assists, with the Nets looking for a basket in the final minute.

The unmistakable progress, however, came on Brown's part. He has averaged 12.7points and 9.3 rebounds his past three games, reminding everyone why the sixth-year big man once was considered the Lakers' potential difference-maker this season.

``You're going to get to see when he comes into his own, he's going to be a special player,'' Odom said. ``He can either be too quick or too big (for opponents).''

While New Jersey coach Lawrence Frank called Brown a ``big presence'' after the game, Lakers coach Phil Jackson was measured when asked if he was all the way back from the shoulder injury.

``Somewhat,'' Jackson said. ``He goes out there and plays the game. Some of the things strategically that we're trying to do, he still has problems staying abreast of what we're doing. But he's getting there.''

The Lakers have the task this season of developing Brown and 19-year- old center Andrew Bynum, who started Sunday and had three points, sixrebound and three blocks in 20 minutes.

Whether Jackson would consider starting Brown was a question left unanswered Sunday. Jackson talked after the game about trying to ``prod'' Bynum into being more aggressive.

``The chances are maybe the second unit will use him more effectively than the first unit,'' Jackson said of Bynum, ``because (the starters) want to do everything on their own and they don't give him the ball as often as I'd like them to.''

Brown's goal remains returning to the starting job he took over at the end of last season, when Chris Mihm went down with an ankle injury.

``I can't get caught up in that,'' Brown said. ``I'm still playing pretty much starter minutes, so I'm not worried about it at all. I'm just going to go out and take what's given to me.''

The Lakers won the third quarter 30-18, and Brown was a force at both ends. He blocked a shot by Marcus Williams and pushed ahead to take a pass from Odom at the foul line. That left Brown 15 feet from the basket.

It was foreign territory for him, but Brown put the ball on the floor and got to the block, where he scored and drew a foul on Nenad Krstic. Brown later flashed a nice spin move against Mikki Moore and finished in the post.

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) BURNING THE NETS

Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

(2) The Lakers' Kobe Bryant fights through a triple team to get to the basket in the second half.

(3) The Lakers' Lamar Odom, top, drives to the basket. Odom scored a team-high 21 points in the victory over New Jersey.

Matt Sayles/Associated Press