LAKERS INSIDE LOOK: KOBE SAVES IT FOR STRETCH RUN LATE FREE THROWS HELP PAVE WAY.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

Once again, Kobe Bryant had the ball in his hands with the game on the line, but this time with the clock stopped and the stakes much higher.

Bryant stood at the free-throw line twice in the final 20 seconds Friday night, knowing that one miss could end the Lakers' season. Bryant didn't miss in four attempts, providing a marvelous end to what had been, personally, an unremarkable Game 6.

Bryant finished with 31 points, but for much of the game he deferred to Shaquille O'Neal, and that's where Bryant showed his true value in Game 6.

``We just committed to being aggressive,'' Bryant said. ``We made hard cuts. We penetrated well, whether off the dribble or off the pass. Shaq was extremely aggressive and that put the fouls in our favor to start the game.''

Instead of forcing shots and trying to take over the game, Bryant stayed within the offense, picked his spots offensively and played outstanding defense in 44 minutes, although coach Phil Jackson declined most of the time to have him guard Sacramento point guard Mike Bibby .

``That's huge for us,'' forward Rick Fox said. ``When Kobe's on his game, he's not only a scorer and a playmaker but a great defender also, so that's a good sign for us.''

In previous big games, Bryant took over, driving for the final shot in Game 4 before Robert Horry's 3-pointer and missing a shot at the buzzer in a Game 5 loss. But with the game, and the season, in the balance, the Lakers looked to O'Neal, and Bryant found a way to make an impact.

``When Shaq is playing the way he played tonight, I think Kobe realizes that he doesn't always have to be the guy to make the plays,'' guard Derek Fisher said. ``He played good basketball down the stretch and that's what we're used to seeing from him.''

Twice in the final 20 seconds, with the Lakers leading by one point, they got the ball inbounds to Bryant, who caught the ball and was immediately fouled.

Four times Bryant stood at the line and three times he hit nothing but net. The other one rattled the rim a bit but ultimately fell, which seemed an appropriate metaphor for Bryant's game in general.

Bryant started the game with a determined look and seemed poised to take control by himself. He scored nine points in the first five minutes as the Lakers took a 14-7 lead, but a little more than two minutes later, Bryant picked up his second foul.

Bryant sat down with four minutes remaining in the quarter, and that's when Shaquille O'Neal began to dominate with a force not seen all postseason. Bryant returned to start the second quarter but clearly had lost his rhythm. He had nine points after one quarter but made just one field goal in the second period.

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Kobe Bryant, struggling against Chris Webber was solid at the free-throw line in the Lakers' victory Friday night in Game 6.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer