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

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

The rivalry no longer is the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers, pronounced dead by no other than Kobe Bryant on a quiet October day at his team's practice facility.

It is the Kings and Bryant, a rivalry born on a raucous November night at Staples Center, when Bryant scored 40 points and owned the floor only to falter in the final minute of the Lakers' 109-106 loss.

Bryant missed a 3-pointer off an inbounds pass that could have tied the score Friday with 2.1 seconds left. Lamar Odom then missed a desperation 30-footer that could have done likewise as the buzzer sounded.

Peja Stojakovic scored 26 points and Chris Webber added 22 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists as the Kings (8-4) won their seventh consecutive game.

Bryant shot 11 of 17, dished off eight assists and pulled down seven rebounds, but the Lakers (7-6) fell to 2-4 on the season against Western Conference teams that entered Friday with winning records.

The Lakers and Kings battled shot for shot down the stretch. Doug Christie buried a 3-pointer with 1:35 remaining to tie the score 102-102 only to have Jumaine Jones answer with a 3-pointer at the other end off a pass from Bryant.

Mike Bibby then curled off a screen and hit another 3-pointer with 1:04 to play. But with Bryant dribbling between the circles and the game headed into the final minute, Christie nearly made the mistake of the night.

Brian Cook came out to set a pick for Bryant, and Christie flattened him with a shove. Christie was called for a flagrant foul, Cook hit one of two free throws and the Lakers got the ball back leading 106-105.

Bryant threw the ball away on the ensuing possession, looking for Cook at the top of the key. Stojakovic stepped in and picked off the pass as Cook grabbed him for a foul.

Stojakovic made both free throws to put the Kings ahead 107-106 with 35.9 seconds left. The Lakers elected not to call a timeout and put the ball in Bryant's hands.

Bryant worked his way from right to left in the frontcourt, drawing Miller out, then looked for Cook again. But Cook's jumper was wayward, and the rebound was deflected out of bounds to Sacramento.

The Lakers then couldn't catch up to Bibby or Christie as they ran circles and avoided desperate foul attempts for more than 15 seconds. Stojakovic ended up hitting another two free throws.

The central protagonists of the past were gone - Robert Horry in San Antonio, Rick Fox now retired, Shaquille O'Neal in Miami and Phil Jackson hibernating in Montana. On this night, Bryant played with Jones and Cook during the closing stretch.

The Kings found the final seven minutes to be troubled times. Miller picked up his fifth foul in questionable fashion, grappling with Chris Mihm for a rebound. And Webber was whistled for his fourth foul in short succession.

Bryant tied the score 95-95 with a pair of free throws. Bryant then connected on a 3-pointer in transition the next trip down court and the sellout crowd was on its feet.

The circumstances of the game could not have been more incongruous. Bryant declared the Lakers-Kings rivalry dead during the exhibition season, and coach Rudy Tomjanovich pronounced Friday's showdown his team's biggest game of the season the day before.

Sacramento coach Rick Adelman offered a pregame qualifier to everything concerning the Lakers this season. ``I think they're going to be a playoff team,'' Adelman said, ``unless something happens to Kobe.''

And Bryant was unstoppable throughout the second half, hitting a bank shot over Webber, crashing into Darius Songalia and firing jumper after jumper over Matt Barnes.

The only thing that derailed Bryant were four missed free throws.

Cook finished with 15 points and Jones added 10 coming off the bench for the Lakers. Sacramento shot just 43.8 percent but still got the win.

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 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