Lakers revive the bell epoch

SACRAMENTO -- Who said it was dead?

The Lakers and Sacramento Kings reached back in time and pulled out a game that rang like a rivalry, a poignant event that ended with the Lakers winning, 117-105, just like the old days.

Robert Horry wasn’t there for late-game heroics and Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t around to lob insults, but the Lakers managed just fine without them, once they figured out the importance of stopping the layup lines the Kings enjoyed for three quarters Tuesday night at Arco Arena.

The Lakers trailed by 13 points in the third quarter and never led until Kobe Bryant brought them there in the final minutes.

He had 34 points, half of them in the fourth quarter, and Pau Gasol shook off a few sluggish games to score 31 as the Lakers won for the 12th time in their last 13 games to keep pace with San Antonio in front of the Western Conference fray.

It was Bryant, again, taking charge when needed, pushing the Lakers to a decisive fourth quarter in which they outscored the Kings, 36-18. His 17 points in the quarter included two free throws with 4:06 to play that gave the Lakers a 101-100 lead, their first of the game.

That was only the beginning.

He went coast to coast for a layup after Brad Miller missed an off-balance fling. He elevated over Ron Artest for an 18-footer. He drew an “M-V-P” chant as he stood at the line and made two free throws for a 105-100 lead with 3:13 to play.

Wait, a surprisingly loud chant like that in Sacramento?

“Better than hearing the cowbells,” Bryant said.

Above everything else was his highlight-reel 360-degree dunk after Derek Fisher fed him for a fastbreak.

Lamar Odom, still in the backcourt, squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled forcefully, either in admiration or disbelief.

“That was a 10,” Odom said. “Especially with two hands? Two-handed 360s are tough. Try it on like a Jordan Jammer [mini-basket].”

The Lakers (43-18) had won again, Bryant picking his spots with uncanny crispness, as he did in a 52-point effort Sunday against Dallas.

He stumbled with the rest of the team in the first quarter, scoring two points on one-for-five shooting as Kevin Martin scored 12 points and the Kings built a 33-27 lead.

Martin finished with 23 points. Bryant finished with a flurry.

“He took it personally,” said Gasol, who had never won in Sacramento while with Memphis. “He definitely gave us a good push.”

Coach Phil Jackson warned the Lakers ahead of time that the Kings (27-33) could be spoilers, noting their 18-10 home record before Tuesday and cognizant that the teams would play four times in the Lakers’ last 22 regular-season games.

The Kings almost played the role, taking a 77-64 lead with 5:32 to play in the third quarter. “We just didn’t have any feel for the game,” Jackson said of the Lakers’ defense.

The Kings scored a staggering 56 points in the paint through three quarters, many on driving layups, and led, 87-81, going into the fourth.

But along with Bryant, the Lakers’ defense finally awoke, forcing Miller’s off-balance miss, Mikki Moore’s shot-clock violation and Fisher’s steal from Martin, which led to Bryant’s dunk with 2:29 to play. The Lakers led at the time, 107-100.

“We played defense in the last five minutes,” Jackson noted, saying everything but “finally.”

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mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

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MVP run

Kobe Bryant’s scoring may be down from last year, but his steals per game and shooting percentage are up and his shot attempts are down, which are a few reasons why the Lakers are 43-18 and Bryant could win his first regular-season MVP. A look at Bryant’s last 10 seasons:

*--* Season PPG FGM-A FG% STL 1998-99 19.9 7.2-15.6 46.5 1.4 1999-00 22.5 8.4-17.9 46.8 1.6 2000-01 28.5 10.3-22.2 46.4 1.7 2001-02 25.2 9.4-20.0 46.9 1.5 2002-03 30.0 10.6-23.5 45.1 2.2 2003-04 24.0 7.9-18.1 43.8 1.7 2004-05 27.6 8.7-20.1 43.3 1.3 2005-06 35.4 12.2-27.2 45.0 1.8 2006-07 31.6 10.6-22.8 46.3 1.4 2007-08 28.3 9.5-20.5 46.4 2.0 *--*

Source: NBA.com