COURT KINGS BRYANT GETS 40, SACRAMENTO GETS THE VICTORY SACRAMENTO 109, LAKERS 106.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

The familiar faces went their separate ways over the summer, the rivalry was declared dead more than a month ago, and all those years of accumulated magic came to a crashing end in the final minute Friday night.

There was no Shaquille O'Neal or Rick Fox for the first showdown of a new era with the Sacramento Kings. And the Lakers' biggest shot down the stretch came from Jumaine Jones, thrown into an August trade with the Boston Celtics.

There was no victory, either, as Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom both missed desperation 3-pointers in the closing seconds and the Kings pocketed a 109-106 win, their seventh in a row.

The Lakers (7-6) were left to lament losing a game they led 105-102 with 1 minute, 19 seconds to play. Bryant scored 40 points but faltered when it mattered most, and his team lost its second close game to a division rival in a week.

``This has got to hurt,'' Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. ``We've got to believe that we can compete with those guys. So when we get in these games again, it'll be there.''

The Lakers fell 107-102 to the Phoenix Suns on the road last Friday. They are 2-4 against Western Conference teams with a winning record and 0-6 in games in which they give up 100 points or more.

``It's important for us to stay focused and just continue to stay the course,'' Bryant said. ``Where we are is where we're supposed to be. We're not going to panic, I'm not going to panic.''

It was a victory by a Sacramento team that has been together the better part of six years over a Lakers team that has been together seven weeks. That didn't ease the sting.

The script was set for a fitting ending, with Bryant poised to add another chapter to his buzzer-beating legend with 6.9 seconds remaining. It was Bryant who called the rivalry over during the exhibition season.

Bryant owned the floor from halftime until the final horn, scoring 26 points in the second half. And in the Lakers' huddle, Tomjanovich scrapped one inbound set for another favored by Bryant.

``He's had a whole bunch of game-winning situations off that line type of (play),'' Tomjanovich said. ``I've got to go with that.''

But Bryant was knocked off-balance by Sacramento's Bobby Jackson and came up short on the 3-pointer. Doug Christie lost the rebound out of bounds, and the Lakers had another last-gasp try with 2.1 seconds to go.

Odom retreated beyond the 3-point arc but was off the mark on a 35-footer.

Sacramento got 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions in the final two minutes from Christie and Mike Bibby. They combined to offset a 3-pointer by Jones from the corner.

``Bibby hit a shot with a guy draped all over him,'' Bryant said. ``It's a tough shot, it's a tough shot. I had a look, but it didn't go down for us. Sometimes that's all it takes to win or lose a ballgame.''

Christie committed a flagrant foul trying to fight through a Brian Cook screen with 52.9 seconds left, but the Lakers could not capitalize. The crushing blow came when Peja Stojakovic stepped in front of Cook to pick off a Bryant pass.

Stojakovic (26 points) sank two free throws with 35.9 seconds left to make it 107-106. Tomjanovich elected not to call a timeout and put the ball in Bryant's hands.

Bryant worked from left to right across the court, drawing Brad Miller and leaving Cook free at the top of the key. Cook missed a 3-pointer, and Sacramento ran circles around the Lakers as they tried desperately to foul.

``I missed a shot at the end and didn't step to a pass,'' said Cook, who had 15 points. ``That's something I've got to learn from experience.''

As for the Lakers-Kings rivalry, it officially came to an end. Webber, who had 22 points and 16 rebounds for Sacramento, declared it such after the game.

``You can't have a rivalry without Shaq,'' Webber said. ``You can't have a rivalry without Vlade (Divac). That's not realistic. When Shaq was here, they brought lots of great players in and out. But without Shaq out there, that's really what you miss.''

Ross Siler, [phone]

ross.siler(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Lakers guard Kobe Bryant shoots the ball over Kings forward Chris Webber on Friday night.

(2) Sacramento's Bobby Jackson tries to control the ball under pressure from Lakers center Vlade Divac.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) STORY LINES

(2) GAME RECAP