PLAY TIME FOR KOBE, LAKERS BRYANT RETURNS AND SCORES 43 IN VICTORY LAKERS 111, BOSTON 98.

Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer

BOSTON -- If Kobe Bryant felt as if he was ``grounded'' while sitting in his hotel room and serving a one-game NBA suspension Tuesday night, then how would he describe the feeling in returning with a 43-point barrage against the Boston Celtics?

``It felt like I was finally able to run out in the yard,'' Bryant said, ``and just run a little wild.''

It was more like Bryant ran roughshod Wednesday in the Lakers' 111-98 victory. After not taking a shot in the first eight minutes, Bryant could hear ``M-V-P'' chants in this city once so hostile to the Lakers as the final seconds ticked away.

He connected on seven 3-pointers, scored 12 points in the last 61/2 minutes as the Lakers finally put away the Celtics and threw down a savage windmill dunk with 1:40 left to cap his one-man show.

The Lakers ended their three-game losing streak at the expense of the Celtics, who lost their 13th consecutive game, tying a franchise record. Boston has played the past 21 games without star guard Paul Pierce, who is out with a stress reaction in his left foot.

Searching for a silver lining, Boston coach Doc Rivers cited two of his young players and said that if ``Gerald Green is a Kobe Bryant and Al Jefferson is whoever you want him to be and you're winning games, you're not going to give a crap about what happened.''

Bryant, meanwhile, was able to move past his suspension and deliver the Lakers their first victory on this eight-game trip. He said he was more nervous watching Tuesday's loss to New York on television than he ever would be playing in a game.

With the perspective that came with sitting out, Bryant offered his teammates a reminder to have fun Wednesday. ``We tend to get a little too serious on these road trips,'' Bryant said, ``and kind of forget about how much fun the game is.''

There also was none of the expected vengeance on Bryant's part in returning from suspension. Bryant laid out his intentions before the game and had to be reminded by Lakers coach Phil Jackson to take open shots in the first quarter.

``It's important for us to get back on track. Not for me to necessarily take over the game,'' Bryant said. ``Hopefully we won't need that. We've got a long trip ahead, it's important for everybody to get on track and get into some type of a rhythm if we want to do well on this trip.''

The Lakers needed Bryant to close out the kiddie corps Celtics. He went to the bench with 8:39 remaining and the Lakers leading 91-77 but had to return less two minutes later as Brian Scalabrine scored seven consecutive points for Boston.

With the Lakers' lead down to seven, Bryant returned for the final 6:50. He drove for a layup on his first possession back, buried two 3-pointers from 26 feet and threw down the dunk on Green that left the crowd gasping.

``I just got in a good rhythm,'' Bryant said, ``and was able to put on a good show there.''

The Celtics turned to Green, a second-year guard, to try to stop Bryant. Green said after the game, ``It's tough when you are in the game and those shots keep going in'' and added, ``We knew (Bryant) was kind of upset about the suspension.''

Bryant made 13 of 25 shots and nearly had a triple-double with eight rebounds and eight assists. He made a spectacular 3-pointer to beat the third quarter buzzer after Boston's Wally Szczerbiak lost the ball with a chance to make it a five-point game.

Bryant also described serving his suspension in the simplest of terms before the game: ``I felt like a kid that was grounded. I couldn't go outside and play on the swings. It was terrible.''

The Lakers shot 57 percent in the first quarter to take a 35-23 lead -- with Bryant not taking a shot until the 3:56 mark -- but what should have been an easy night against a Celtics team that hasn't won since Jan. 5 wasn't meant to be.

Bryant went to the bench to start the second quarter, but came back less than two minutes later as the Celtics cut the Lakers' lead 35-29. The Celtics eventually tied the score 43-43 on a Scalabrine 3-pointer with 5:30 left before halftime.

``There's some people that might have learned a lesson out of the game tonight,'' Jackson said, ``because the second unit was quick with their shooting, their defense didn't stand and suddenly that 12-point first quarter lead was a tie game.''

With Bryant coming back from suspension, Jackson promised before the game to rein in his superstar guard. ``My interest is to not let him go off and get too wacky out there,'' Jackson said, ``in case he's got retribution in mind.''

Jackson proved it with four minutes left in the second quarter. Bryant hit the side of the backboard on a jumper and Jackson called for seldom-used guard Shammond Williams to replace Bryant.

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Photo:

(1 -- color) The Lakers' Kobe Bryant, center, shoots as Boston's Al Jefferson, left, and Delonte West defend. Bryant scored 43 points in the Lakers' win.

Chitose Suzuki/Associated Press

(2) Smush Parker goes in for adunk against Boston in the Lakers' victory Wednesday.

Brian Babineau/Getty Images