Kobe All Square With Triangle

Kobe Bryant dismissed the notion that he was a detractor of the triangle offense that he ran for five seasons under Phil Jackson and Tex Winter, saying he was pleased Coach Rudy Tomjanovich had brought the formation back into the fold.

“If people think I didn’t like the triangle, that’s a misconception,� Bryant said Sunday after Laker practice. “I love the offense.�

The Lakers used the scheme for the first time this season Friday during their 111-104 victory over the Houston Rockets and worked on it extensively Sunday before boarding a plane for Minneapolis.

Tomjanovich said the Lakers would use a lot of the formation tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. And that’s fine with Bryant, who said he liked the offense that Winter originated because it “makes everybody a threat.�

“It gives great movement; it’s very flexible,� said Bryant, who scored 27 points and had 10 assists Friday as the Lakers won their first game of the season in which their opponent scored more than 100 points. “There’s a flow to it so the defense can’t sit and anticipate what you’re going to do. It’s all reads, and we have a good time running it.�

Bryant wasn’t always so complimentary. During a preseason luncheon in October 2001, the guard said the triangle “does win championships in June, but December, January, it’s boring as hell.�

Tomjanovich said he relished the opportunity to get so many players involved using the set, “But I also believe I’ve got to get the ball in our primary scorers’ hands with other stuff too. And it should always be a mix [of formations].�

Devean George, one of the handful of holdovers from the Jackson-Winter regime, said the triangle was a good fit for these Lakers because it makes it difficult for teams to focus their defensive efforts on Bryant.

“It’s in its early learning stages, but the guys are picking it up well,� George said. “We’re not going to get too in-depth with how we used to run the triangle. I think we’ll stick to the basics, and we’ll be fine with that.�

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Tomjanovich said the Lakers are eager to prove themselves as capable road opponents after a disheartening stretch last week in which San Antonio and Dallas hammered them in Texas.

The Lakers are 5-8 away from Staples Center but will have plenty of opportunities to reverse that trend. Among the teams jockeying for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference, the Lakers (13 games), Clippers (12) and Rockets (15) have played the fewest road games so far.

“The teams that are going to win on the road are going to be the guys that move up in the standings,� Tomjanovich said. “This is where you pick up games.�

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George, a Minneapolis native who had hoped to return from surgery on his left ankle in time to play tonight against the Timberwolves, did not make the trip and may require several more weeks of rehabilitation before making his season debut.

George said he was still having trouble jumping and making quick cuts.

“The type of player I am, I’m not a stand-still shooter,� George said. “I like to get offensive rebounds, play defense, run the floor, and I’m just a little slow in that area. I don’t have much of a lift in my legs right now.�

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Bryant said he appreciated fans who remained supportive after a report that his No. 8 Laker jersey had fallen out of the top 50 in sales. “Obviously, we’ve been through a lot,� said Bryant, accused of rape by a 19-year-old hotel worker before charges against him were dropped in September. “I have a base of supporters that stay with me through thick and through thin. [The decline of jersey sales is] not something I lose sleep over. I just go out there and work hard every day, and hopefully one day things will turn back around.� ... For a guy who can’t seem to speak more than a few sentences without somehow denigrating Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal sure got snippy recently when Miami reporters asked him about his former Laker teammate. “You can’t ask me any ‘K’ questions until March 15, two days before the game,� O’Neal said. “Anybody who asks me about the ‘K’ word until then will be arrested because you are outside of your Kobe jurisdiction. Don’t ask me another Kobe question until March 15.� The Lakers and the Heat play for a second and final time this season March 17 in Miami.

TONIGHT

at Minnesota, 5 PST, Channel 9

Site -- Target Center.

Radio -- KLAC (570), KWKW (1330).

Records -- Lakers 17-14, Timberwolves 17-15.

Record vs. Timberwolves (2003-04) -- 1-3.

Update -- This can hardly be called a rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals considering the heavy turnover experienced by the Lakers. Despite remaining largely intact, the Timberwolves have had their own struggles, losing seven of their last 10 games. Minnesota forward and former Laker Mark Madsen is out indefinitely after fracturing his left thumb Friday against Philadelphia.