SACRAMENTO, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Kobe Bryant scored 38 points and Shaquille O'Neal collected 36 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as the Los Angeles Lakers held on Friday night for a 124-113 victory over the injury-plagued Sacramento Kings.
Los Angeles made its first visit to Sacramento since posting a dramatic victory last spring in Game Seven of the Western Conference finals en route to its third straight NBA championship.
O'Neal and Bryant carried the Lakers for much of the first 3 1/2 quarters before their supporting cast came through.
"Winning at Arco Arena prepares us to play in a hostile environment," Bryant said. "No matter how many guys the Kings have out, they play well."
Los Angeles never trailed in the second half and continued to fight off Sacramento, which pulled within two points or less eight times during a 12-minute span that ended with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Devean George scored half of his 10 points during a 13-2 run that gave the Lakers their largest lead at 109-97 with 5:17 remaining. Sacramento's Peja Stojakovic, who scored a season-high 36 points, responded with a 3-pointer and converted a three-point play to pull the Kings within 109-103.
"I felt very good down the stretch, but they also made shots," said Stojakovic, who scored 15 points in the final 10 1/2 minutes. "Not only Kobe and Shaq, but other players and that is a big thing for them. We tried to limit the touches to (O'Neal and Bryant), but the other guys stepped up."
Lakers forward Rick Fox made a 3-pointer and after the Kings got consecutive baskets from Stojakovic and Jimmy Jackson, sank another for a 115-107 lead at the 2:50 mark.
"We hit some big shots at the end, when Fox hit a couple," Los Angeles Coach Phil Jackson said. "We've played some really good games, but we have to stay consistent. This is our first consistent effort."
Stojakovic followed with a 3-pointer, but Derek Fisher answered with a shot from the arc and Los Angeles won for the 10th time in the last 14 regular season meetings with Sacramento.
Bryant and O'Neal combined to make 26-of-51 shots as the Lakers shot 51 percent (43-of-85) from the floor, including 9-of-17 from 3-point range. Bryant made 3-of-6 3-pointers and Fox sank 4-of-6.
"Our guys played pretty good today, shot the ball well and looks like we're getting it back," O'Neal said. "We just have to suck it up and keep playing and not let teams beat us."
O'Neal made 12-of-13 free throws as Los Angeles was 29-of-34 from the line en route its highest scoring game of the season.
Mike Bibby scored 21 points and reserve Gerald Wallace added 13 for the Kings, who lost for the fourth time in five games after winning nine of 11.
"I thought out guys played really hard. We just didn't do enough," Sacramento Coach Rick Adelman said. "We just didn't have enough answers. There are no moral losses."
"We knew we could win this game," Bibby said. "In our eyes, we are the best team in the league and we didn't want to go down easy."
Sacramento has struggled without forward Chris Webber and center Scot Pollard. Webber is sidelined for at least three weeks with a sprained left ankle and Pollard is out with a broken right hand. Guard Bobby Jackson remains on the injured list with a broken hand.
"This Kings' team is depleted," Jackson said. "They still made us play hard. We had to fight for this game."
"I'd like to make more of it that it really is, but they are undermanned, missing three really good players," Fox added. "But we played well enough to win. We had to win."
O'Neal scored 14 points in the first quarter as the Lakers jumped out to a 28-19 lead. Bryant added 10 in the second quarter and Los Angeles had a 63-55 halftime advantage.
The Kings scored the first seven points of the second half and pulled to 63-62 on a jumper by Bibby with 8:39 to go. Bibby had 13 points in the third quarter, but Sacramento could not capitalize.
The Kings forged a 74-74 tie on Stojakovic's 3-pointer with 4:21 left, but Bryant answered with a 3-pointer. Sacramento tied it again 68 seconds later before Los Angeles took the lead for good on a pair of free throws by O'Neal.
