Lakers Continue Practice Over Clippers

They spent all that time waiting and practicing and pondering and getting into shape, then when the Lakers and Clippers finally played each other in an exhibition game Friday night, what did they find out?

The Lakers are still quite a bit better, at least by measurement of these four methodical quarters and the 107-76 result at the Great Western Forum before 14,042.

Not a large or gasping surprise.

(Though, no surprise, Clipper forward Rodney Rogers looked slightly large. And gasped quite a bit. And also had to absorb an accidental blast across his forehead from Shaquille O’Neal.)

The teams meet again at the Sports Arena tonight to close the two-game exhibition schedule.

“When you win a game by 30 points, it’s hard to be critical,” Laker Coach Del Harris said. “We didn’t have anybody who played badly.”

Post-lockout, pre-Staples Center, pre-Michael Olowokandi, whatever timetable you want to put on it, the Lakers appear to be in resoundingly better shape, literally and figuratively.

They were embroiled in tougher competition in their two recent intra-squad scrimmages, which, though haphazard, at the very least did not feature zero-for-seven shooting by Clipper guard James Robinson, as this matchup did.

Looking particularly sharp for the Lakers were Derek Harper, who had six assists, four steals and eight points, Eddie Jones, who had 17 points, and Travis Knight, who had a game-high 14 rebounds in 17 minutes.

“He knows how to play--he can find the basketball,” Harris said of Knight. “He knows where the basketball is going.”

Kobe Bryant, meanwhile, assembled the rarest and richest of double-doubles, gathering double-digit totals in both points scored (a team-high 19) and millions of dollars agreed to (a not-quite team-high 70.8).

Even Elden Campbell, the focus of much trade speculation, drew applause after a thunderous dunk in the first quarter (after eliciting a smattering of boos when he entered the game).

By the first quarter, the Lakers had a 16-point lead. By late in the third, it was a 27-point margin, capped by a 360-degree twirl dunk by Bryant from an open-court assist by Harper.

“It was a fun game,” said Harper, 37. “One of the reasons I came here was that these guys are keeping me a little bit young. You know what Kobe can do in the open court.”

For the Clippers, it was pretty much Lamond Murray, who scored their first nine points and led all scorers with 24, or nothing. No other Clipper scored in double digits.

Murray had six of the Clippers’ 10 first-half baskets, 15 of their 35 points, and if you take away his shooting, they were four for 24 in the half.

“We had too many my-faults, my-mistake,” Clipper Coach Chris Ford said. “And that put us down by 20 points.”

Said Harper: “We got off to a good start, we rebounded well, and that allowed us to get out in transition and get some easy baskets.”

The Clippers made 25 of 76 field-goal attempts (32.9%), while the Lakers made 46.7%, and outrebounded the Clippers, 59-35.

“It’ll be a little harder tomorrow, be sure of that,” Harris said. “After tonight, the Clippers will play a better game tomorrow night.”

Laker-Clipper Notes

Both teams had a big signing before the game as Michael Olowokandi finally arrived from Italy and signed with the Clippers and Kobe Bryant officially got his deal done with the Lakers.

Olowokandi, last year’s No. 1 draft pick, signed a three-year deal for $10,368,840 with an additional $4,662,472 if the Clippers exercise the fourth-year option. Olowokandi, who will turn 24 in April, did not attend Friday’s game but will join the Clippers at their shoot-around this morning. He is not expected to play tonight.

Bryant, who will turn 21 in August, signed a six-year contract extension for $70 million. Bryant, in his third season, joked about being younger than Olowokandi, a Nigerian native who did not begin playing organized basketball until he was 20.

“He’s a young pup,” Bryant said. “And he’s four years older. I’m going into my third year. That doesn’t hurt.”

Clipper forward Maurice Taylor did not dress because of a right quadriceps strain and is listed as day-to-day. Laker rookie Sam Jacobson did not play because of a hip injury but is expected to play tonight.

Staff Writer Lonnie White contributed to this story.