BRYANT DOES IT ALL LAKERS PULL OUT CONTROVERSIAL WIN IN DENVER LAKERS 112, DENVER 111.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

DENVER - Around a referee's inadvertent whistle, a buzzing shot clock, a precocious rookie and other headline-stealing distractions, Kobe Bryant fashioned the sort of spectacular performance that wins championships and wilts rivals and can even make offcourt issues seem irrelevant.

Bryant was back in Colorado on Wednesday, back to absorb the boos associated with his legal drama down the road from here, all while entertaining the possibility of playing for the local team. And amid that dizzying array of storylines, and with the Lakers' season still in a precarious state, Bryant delivered undoubtedly his best game of the season.

The Lakers extended their winning streak to five games with a 112-111 come-from-behind victory over the Denver Nuggets. A controversial finish had a record Pepsi Center crowd of 19,812 howling in protest, and Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik trying to assault the referees.

The steady hand in all of this was Bryant, who scored 35 points and collected 10 assists and seven rebounds, negating the boos and any sense of awkwardness he once felt here. And he figured into nearly every critical play in the fourth quarter as the Lakers overcame a 13-point deficit.

``This is the fist time this season I've had to try to will us back in the game,'' Bryant said. ``A lot of times you can look at the stats and put up good numbers, but a lot of times that's not what does it. You really have to put forth the will and, when your teammates see that you're putting forth 110 percent, then they have to follow suit. They have to believe. And I believe.''

By the end, the confidence had spread right down to the Lakers' untested youngsters. Bryant, well-defended on the last possession, gave the ball up and it found its way to second-year pro Kareem Rush, who promptly hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds left.

That the Lakers had that shot at all was the source of considerable debate. Denver held a 111-109 lead when Andre Miller's jumper from the left side fell short as the shot clock expired. The ball appeared to strike the rim, and Bryant's outstretched hand, but referee Michael Henderson blew the whistle and called a 24-second violation.

The Nuggets protested, saying the shot hit the rim. Henderson and officials Jess Kersey and Jack Nies conferred briefly and decided to call a jumpball, saying the whistle was ``inadvertent.'' Shaquille O'Neal won the tip against Nene and slapped the ball to Gary Payton, leading to Rush's eventual game-winner.

After the final buzzer, Bzdelik and Marcus Camby chased down the referees, and a writhing Bzdelik had to be restrained by assistant coach T.R. Dunn.

``Call everybody, the A.T.F., everybody,'' Carmelo Anthony said. ``They robbed us of a win tonight.''

Bryant said he hit the ball in the air, before it hit the rim, which was the Lakers' version of events.

Anthony put the Nuggets ahead early, and kept them in front for most of the game, scoring 35 points as he ran through Rick Fox, Devean George and Bryon Russell before coach Phil Jackson finally turned to Bryant.

``He just was trashing everybody out there tonight,'' Jackson said.

Down 111-104 with 1:27 to go, the Lakers scored the last 8 points of the game. A few minutes earlier, they scored 11 unanswered points, and Bryant orchestrated all of it, scoring on a layup and dished to O'Neal, Payton and Rush for baskets.

Howard Beck, [phone]

howard.beck(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(color) Gary Payton, who scored 14 points and had eight assists, reaches for the ball in Wednesday's victory.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

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