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Bryant looks to end Lakers' late-season funk

Apr 13, 2007 - 3:23 PM LA Lakers (40-39) at Phoenix (59-19) 10:30 pm EDT

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Superstar Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are starting to fade at the wrong time.

Bryant will once again try to get the Lakers out of their recent funk when they visit the Phoenix Suns on Friday. The reigning scoring champion, Bryant notched his ninth contest with at least 50 points in Thursday's 118-110 setback to the Los Angeles Clippers.

"Losses are part of the game. You have to (pick) it up," Bryant said. "It's going to happen. You are going to have disheartening losses."

The Lakers now hold just a 1 1/2-game lead for seventh place in the Western Conference standings over the Clippers (38-40) and Golden State (38-40) with just three games remaining.

Meanwhile, Phoenix enters with the hopes of locking up second place in the West as it has a two-game edge over the San Antonio Spurs (57-21).

"I think each one we win we just widen that gap up, but at the same time the Spurs are right on our heels," Suns forward Shawn Marion said.

On Wednesday, Marion and fellow All-Star Amare Stoudemire both recorded double-doubles as the Suns won for the sixth time in seven games with a 109-91 victory over Seattle.

Just six days ago, two-time MVP Steve Nash's 25 points and 11 assist led Phoenix to a 115-107 triumph over the Lakers, who were paced by Bryant's 34 points.