The Los Angeles Lakers broke their eight-game losing streak when Kobe Bryant scored 20 of his 32 points in the second half to beat the road-weary New York Knicks 117-107 Tuesday night.

Stephon Marbury's 45 points were 10 points short for the Knicks who also lost on Monday at Oakland.

Caron Butler added 26 points for Los Angeles. Devean George, playing just his third game of the season, had 18 points and Chucky Atkins scored 12 for the Lakers.

Los Angeles Lakers guard took a recent shot at Kobe Bryant the other day when asked what moves he would make in the offseason to improve the struggling Lakers.

"I ain't the GM of this team," Atkins told the Los Angeles Times. "Kobe's the GM of this team. Ask Kobe. You've been watching this [stuff] all year. You've been watching it and I've been playing it."

Atkins has reportedly been frustrated with Bryant?s criticisms of his defensive play and Bryant?s numerous shots hoisted up every game.

Atkins told the Times "it was hard to play with anybody that's a star" when asked how it was to play with Bryant.

Lamar Odom will most likely miss his fourth straight game tomorrow when the slumping Los Angeles Lakers take on the surging Philadelphia 76ers as he is still suffering from a slight tear and bruised rotator cuff in his left shoulder.

Lakers spokesman John Black said Friday that Odom will be examined before the game, but is unlikely to play.

The Lakers are 5 ? games behind Denver with 14 to play. They?ve lost 7 in a row, their longest streak in 11 years, which was also the last time they missed the playoffs.

To put things in perspective: even if the Lakers ignite and win 12 of those final 14, the Nuggets would have to finish 6-9 in their final 15. Given that Denver has won 13 of 14, a collapse seems as unlikely as a Lakers surge. While the Nuggets improved to 20-5 under coach George Karl, the Lakers fell to 10-17 under interim coach Frank Hamblen.

Hamblen seemed particularly upset over the Lakers? defensive breakdowns, which led to
63 second-half points, by a short-handed Denver team missing Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin. The Lakers, though they were without Lamar Odom, were with Devean George for the first time all season. And they had Kobe, who scored 14 points in the first half but went 1-4 in the second.

But any hopes of staying with the high-flying Nuggets evaporated in the third quarter, when Denver pushed a 5-point halftime lead to 13. Early in the quarter, Caron Butler stole the ball and went the length of the court for a lay-up that missed. No Laker bothered to run the floor with Butler, and the Nuggets came right back and scored. On the bench, Hamblen looked apoplectic, and later accused the Lakers of quitting.

The Los Angeles Lakers activated forward Devean George who has spent the entire season on the injured list recovering from ankle surgery.

Brian Cook was inujured in practice during a Wednesday practice in Denver.  X-rays were negative and Cook is expected to miss two weeks.

The Los Angeles Lakers scored 37 points in the 4th quarter on Sunday versus the SuperSonics, but it still left them two short, as they lost 102-100.

Kobe Bryant scored 30 points on 12-23 shooting.  Caron Butler had 29, picking up some of the additional scoring in the absence of Lamar Odom.

Ray Allen played just 10 minutes before spraining his ankle.  Flip Murray scored 25 points playing in Allen's place in 35 minutes.  Murray is a highly talented player but has been the odd man out, playing very limited minutes for the Sonics this season.

Sonics forward Danny Fortson missed last night's game vs. Orlando due to a sprained left ankle.  Center Jerome James missed Friday night's game vs. Orlando due to a right quad contusion.  Both are game time decisions vs. the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night.

The Lakers were defeated by the Pacers on Friday and they also will be without Lamar Odom, who is out indefinitely.

The Sonics beat the Orlando Magic, in Chris Jent's coaching debut.

Reggie Miller had a classic night, scoring 39 points in a 103-97 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Miller was 13-19 from the floor, 3-5 from 3-point land and a perfect 10-10 from the line, outplaying rival Kobe Bryant who scored just 12 points.

The Pacers improved to 32-31, as Rick Carlisle's team attempts to will themselves into the playoffs, despite playing withouth Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest.

Miller announced several weeks ago that this would be his final season in the NBA. This nationally televised performance gave Pacers' fans yet another memory to file away about Miller who since 1987 has given the city of Indianapolis brilliant clutch performance, upon brilliant clutch performance.

The Pacers had hoped that this would be the year Miller would finally get a ring.

He was with the Pacers in 2000, a Larry Bird led team that battled the Lakers in six games. The title was the first for Shaquille O'Neal and Bryant.

The Pacers season essentially ended after the suspensions were given in the aftermath of the brawl in Detroit. Miller was one of the suspended parties, despite being a peacekeeper.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom is out indefinitely after straining his left shoulder against Indiana on Friday night.

Odom suffered the injury in the first half, but played through the pain until reaggravating it in the third quarter. He was taken to the locker room and did not return. He had nine points and three rebounds in 21 minutes before leaving.

Odom's injury will be reevaluated either Saturday or Sunday in Los Angeles.

A man from California pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to threatening the prosecutor and the alleged victim in the sexual assault case against Kobe Bryant.

Cedric Augustine, 38, of Long Beach, Calif., faces up to five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 when he is sentenced on June 2.

Prosecutors are seeking a lighter sentence, pointing out that Augustine had accepted responsibility.