SPOTLIGHT STILL BELONGS TO KOBE BRYANT TAKES OVER IN FOURTH AS L.A. WINS LAKERS 109, ORLANDO 106.

Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer

For all the attention paid to Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard, the NBA's next-generation big men on the floor, Kobe Bryant served a reminder Friday night at Staples Center that the present belongs to him.

Playing with a strained left groin, Bryant scored 16 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season with a 109-106 victory over the Orlando Magic.

The Magic went to Darko Milicic and Howard for two baskets in the last two minutes, but Bryant answered with two jumpers over Grant Hill. Bryant also secured the game's biggest rebound after Howard came up empty at the foul line with 41 seconds left.

Bryant hit all five shots he took in the fourth quarter and also made 6 of 6 free throws. Smush Parker finished with a career-high 26 points for the Lakers while Howard had 25 points and 10 rebounds but missed three free throws in the final minute.

Parker left the door open for Orlando to tie the score, missing two free throws with 9.8 seconds remaining. But Jameer Nelson couldn't get a 3-pointer at the buzzer to fall, denying the Magic its first victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles in a decade.

The Lakers improved to 17-4 at home, bouncing back after road losses at Memphis and Houston. Bynum battled foul trouble all game and finished with eight points and five rebounds in 19 minutes.

Bryant was limited as expected by the groin injury. He took jumpers instead of attacking the basket and was content to be a passer early, finishing with seven assists. Bryant also had to work on the defensive to keep up with his foot speed affected.

Bynum picked up two fouls not even four minutes into the second quarter and his fourth foul 3:36 into the third quarter. He came back for the start of the fourth quarter and made a spectacular block as Keyon Dooling went up for a baseline dunk.

But Bynum was called for his fifth foul - an illegal screen on Carlos Arroyo - with 9:22 remaining. Bryant returned for the final 7:19 and the Lakers went down 92-89 as Arroyo hit a jumper after Orlando grabbed the rebound off a missed free throw.

The comeback started with Bryant, who hit a turnaround in the lane, buried two jumpers and sank four free throws.

Parker had his second big game against the Magic this season, making 9 of 16 shots. He hit a 3-pointer in the opening minute, connected on three more in the third quarter and went 5 of 8 from long range for the game.

It was Orlando coach Brian Hill who said, ``We can't be giving the Smush Parkers of the league quarters like that,'' after Parker scored 18 of his 20 points in the third quarter of their Dec. 27 game.

There are few players in the NBA that the 19-year-old Bynum can relate to at such a young age. Howard, however, is one of them, having been a No. 1 overall pick out of high school.

The two met last season and have developed a friendship. Bynum said last month that he admires everything Howard has done by his 21st birthday, including his selection as Eastern Conference Player of the Month for November.

They went back and forth at the start of the second quarter, with Bynum beating Howard with a back cut for an alley-oop layup. On the next possession, Bynum threw a nice pass to Vladimir Radmanovic for a basket.

Howard came back and hammered a dunk while being fouled by Bynum. At the other end, Bynum got to the foul line, then blocked a Keith Bogans shot back on defense, leading to a 3-pointer by Jordan Farmar.

It had all the makings of a memorable matchup. Yet when Howard went to the bench, Bynum stayed in the game and picked up his third foul in barely a minute, forcing him to take a seat for the last 8:20 of the half.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson could only watch perturbed from his seat. Howard was called for his third foul with 43.2 seconds left in the half but the Lakers went into the locker room leading only 55-53.

The Lakers held Howard, who had a 30-point, 25-rebound game Wednesday against Golden State, to only 12 points and eight rebounds when they played Dec. 27 in Orlando. That was before starting center Kwame Brown was lost to an ankle injury.

``I was just saying to my coaching staff, `I haven't really seen the real Dwight Howard yet,''' said Jackson, who reserved the right to double- team Howard if necessary.

``You look at this guy and he's really a physical marvel,'' Jackson added. ``Andrew still hasn't grown into his body, as you know he's still a kid with peach fuzz.''

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) The Lakers' Smush Parker is fouled by Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu in the first quarter of Friday's game.

(2) The Lakers' Andrew Bynum tries to stop Orlando's Dwight Howard in Friday's game.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer