LAKERS NOTEBOOK: CLINTON GIBED LESS THAN KOBE.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

PHILADELPHIA - It was a close call, but Kobe Bryant edged Bill Clinton on Sunday for the most loathed celebrity in the building.

The former prez, watching from a First Union Center luxury suite, got razzed hard when his mug hit the video screen. But Bryant, the Philly native, got much worse treatment. He was booed lustily during introductions and the first several times he scored.

And the occasional, ever-classy ``Kobe sucks'' chant followed.

Nothing seemed to bother Bryant as he staked the Lakers to an early lead with a 16-point second quarter and finished with a team-high 32 points.

And when a fan behind the scorer's table barked at Bryant each time he returned to the court, Bryant just looked at him and shook his head.

The Lakers' 96-91 victory gave them a 2-1 edge in the Finals, but Bryant took no special satisfaction winning in his hometown.

``None at all,'' said Bryant, who made 13 of 30 shots. ``I got all my good games in high school, when everyone was saying I shouldn't have gone pro in the first place.

``But I don't care, I really don't. I joke around a lot about it. But I'm an L.A. Laker and I'm here just doing the best job I possibly can. I think the people of Philadelphia, they might boo the hell out of you while you're playing against them. But I think they respect hard work, and I think they respect you if you go out there and play your heart out. And that's all we try to do here.''

--Fried Fish: Derek Fisher knew he had the toughest defensive assignment of the series, and he bore the full brunt of Allen Iverson's dazzle in Game 3. He fouled out with 2:47 left to play.

Fisher finished with seven points in 31 minutes and did a respectable job on Iverson, who made just 12 of 30 field goals for 35 points.

``I think it just shows how different officials will referee in different ways,'' said Fisher, who spent a lot of time talking to referee Bob Delaney. ``I was very physical in Game 2, and the officials maybe allowed me to get away with more than this crew decided to. It's going to be like that. I'm playing against the best player in the league this year, so that's how it's going to work. Until I continue to prove myself as a solid player in this league, a lot of plays are going to go against me.''

--Philly feeling: Before the Lakers left L.A., coach Phil Jackson wryly called into question Philadelphia's reputation as the City of Brotherly Love. And he wondered about the, um, reception he might get.

``I haven't gotten the full frontal effect yet,'' he said. ``I was thinking back to the first playoffs I was in, in '68. Philadelphia's a cradle of the NBA referees. One of their own, Earl Strom, got kicked in the rear end at the Palestra. They had to hustle this guy out. It's not atypical for the fans to be very involved in basketball here. You have to love it.''

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