BRYANT BARKS LOUDEST OUTDUELS ARENAS IN LAKERS' WIN LAKERS 118, WASH. 102.

Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer

WASHINGTON -- They stayed on the court the entire first half, neither player willing to head to the bench unless the other made the first move. They traded crossover drives, 360-degree dunks and 3-pointers that dropped out of orbit and into the basket.

For the first 24 minutes of Saturday night's game, the Kobe Bryant and Gilbert Arenas show was the best that basketball had to offer.

The difference, though, came down to the old dog in Bryant who indeed has learned some new tricks.

While Arenas grew consumed by the showdown and made just 9 of 29 shots (including 3 of 15 3-pointers) on the way to 37 points, Bryant kept the Lakers pointed in the direction of a 118-102 victory over a Wizards team with the Eastern Conference's best record.

Bryant finished with 39 points on 14-of-26 shooting with six assists and six rebounds. The rest of the Lakers followed his lead, shooting 51.9 percent and scoring 34 more points Saturday than in their loss at Indiana only 24 hours earlier.

``The basket just felt really, really huge, and I felt I was in a good rhythm,'' Bryant said, ``but I realized what we're trying to do as a basketball club, so I had to step back a little bit and try and bring us along.''

There was no need for Bryant to take a bow at center court or toss his jersey into the stands as the final horn sounded. The Lakers had secured an important road victory while Arenas made just 3 of 12 shots in the second half.

``I was here all last night shooting, getting ready for the game,'' Arenas said. ``I have to stop doing that serious thing before a game. I have to be my goofy self. Tonight, I was too serious, and that is why I struggled early.''

By contrast, Bryant maintained all along that he wasn't excited about a rematch against Arenas, who scorched the Lakers for a franchise-record 60 points in a Dec.17 game at Staples Center.

Arenas scored an NBA-record 16 of those points in overtime while matched up against Bryant, who questioned after that game whether the Wizards' All-Star guard had a ``conscience'' in the shots he takes.

``I'm an old dog, man,'' said Bryant, who is in his 11th season. ``I've been around, done that. I've had many individual battles. But the challenge that I look forward to the most is continuing to move in the right direction toward winning the championship.

``That's the ultimate test. Not whether or not I can outduel somebody on an individual basis. The challenge is winning a title, and I'm focused and we're all focused toward doing everything necessary to get there.''

The Lakers, who improved to 2-2 on this eight-game trip, are now 12-0 when they shoot 50 percent or better. Washington shot just 36.3 percent, with Caron Butler making just 5 of 18 shots and scoring 15 points against his former team.

The Lakers took an 83-73 lead with 1:13 left in the third quarter, taking advantage of the long rebounds that Arenas' wild jumpers tend to produce. Smush Parker fed Ronny Turiaf on the fast break, which ended in a three-point play.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson finally decided to sit Bryant after playing him the first 34:47 of the game. Parker missed a 3-pointer, fouled Antonio Daniels to give up a three-point play and earned a seat on the bench as a result.

But Sasha Vujacic drilled a 3-pointer to send the Lakers into the fourth quarter leading 86-76. With the memories of Friday's collapse in Indiana still fresh, Jackson didn't hesitate in putting Odom and a group of four reserves on the floor.

This time, the Lakers held together instead of coming apart. Odom connected on three 3-pointers in the quarter, holding his follow-through high in the air, and went on to finish with 19 points, 11rebounds and five assists.

``It does feel good, especially when (the 3-pointers) work as daggers,'' Odom said. ``Whenever I shoot from deep and exaggerate my follow-through, they all feel good. I've got a bad habit or snapping back and not following through.''

The Lakers led by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter. Bryant was able to shrug when Arenas drew a four-point play against him with 5:59 remaining.

No player has caused the sensation that Arenas has this season, starting with his 60-point game against the Lakers. Although he and Bryant rarely matched up against each other, they went back and forth throughout the first half Saturday.

Arenas, the former Grant High of Van Nuys star, airballed his first shot of the game but answered a Bryant drive midway through the first quarter by burning Bryant with a crossover dribble and crashing into the lane for a layup.

To close the quarter, Bryant pulled up for a 3-pointer trying to play the two-for-one possession game. Arenas one-upped that shot by burying a 3-pointer over Bryant with 3.8 seconds left to tie the score 29-29.

In the second quarter, Arenas drove the lane and barreled into Brian Cook and Turiaf for a three-point play. Bryant came back and knocked down two jumpers over Daniels. Both players finished the half with 20 points.

Even when Bryant blew a dunk, he followed with a 360-degree dunk.

And even when he was tied up by Etan Thomas, Bryant won the jump ball and hit a foul-line jumper. He told Jackson at halftime that he could have scored 40 points.

Bryant played all 24 minutes in the first half; Arenas came out for the last 1.8 seconds. Bryant was able to draw the defense and find Parker for a dunk and a 3-pointer as the Lakers led 54-50 at halftime.

``I talked a little bit at halftime not to make this a personal duel,'' Jackson said. ``But it's unavoidable sometimes on a night like tonight. He just said the basket kept getting bigger in the first half.''

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Kobe Bryant finished with 39 points, while Washington's Gilbert Arenas had 37.

Lawrence Jackson/Associated Press

(2) The Lakers' Kobe Bryant takes a shot over Washington's Gilbert Arenas on Saturday. Bryant went 14 of 26 from the field.

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images