Shaquille O'Neal won the duel in the desert against ex-teammate Kobe Bryant Sunday, by scoring 33 points to power the Phoenix Suns to a 118-111 win over his former Los Angeles Lakers.
O'Neal added seven rebounds for the Suns who won despite playing without Canadian MVP Steve Nash, who missed his third consecutive game with a sprained right ankle.
O'Neal also had a 45-game performance against Toronto on Friday. It is the first time in five years O'Neal has had consecutive 30-point games.
"I have been doing the same thing since 1992," said O'Neal, who turns 37 on Friday. "The only time I don't play well is when I am injured.
"This is what I do."
Lakers' Bryant finished with 49 points - his 96th career performance with at least 40.
Suns' Matt Barnes scored seven straight points, including a back-breaking three-pointer, in the final 2 1/2 minutes of play.
The Suns were a slim lead late in the fourth quarter when Barnes drew a foul and buried a pair of free throws, extending the lead to 109-103.
Derek Fisher misfired on the other end and Luke Walton fumbled away the offensive board, giving the Suns another shot to give themselves some breathing room.
Barnes pulled up from long range and buried it, pushing the lead to nine with time running out.
For all of Bryant's heroics, the reigning MVP couldn't bring his club back in this one as they stumbled to a rare two-game losing streak.
It was also retribution for a loss on Thursday, when the Lakers exploded for an easy, 132-106 triumph over Phoenix at the Staples Center.
Barnes posted 26 points, 10 boards and seven assists for the Suns, while Leandro Barbosa collected 22 points and seven assists.
The Suns remain two games in the loss column out of the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Pau Gasol added 30 points for the Lakers, but he and Bryant were the only Lakers to reach double figures in scoring. Lamar Odom managed just four points and six rebounds before fouling out.
Source: AFP Global Edition
