Bryant Soars Over the 17,000-Point Mark

Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant lays the ball up while being defended by Toronto Raptors (12) Rasho Nesterovic of Slovenia during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Nov. 17, 2006, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis) (Jeff Lewis - AP)

-- Shaq sat, Kobe soared. On the night Bryant had one of his best games since knee surgery, the Heat learned that now it's Shaquille O'Neal's turn to head under the knife.

And if Friday night was any indication, it doesn't look good for the Heat's chances of surviving without their All-Star center. Miami was routed 100-76 by the New York Knicks, its third loss by 22 points or more _ all at home.

"This is how you build character," Dwyane Wade said. "We're down now, but we know the true test of a champion is how they fight back."

Bryant's spirits were much higher after he had 31 points and 11 rebounds in the Lakers' 107-100 home victory over Toronto. Bryant went over the 17,000-point mark, the youngest player in NBA history to do so.

More importantly, he felt good doing it. After a four-day layoff, last season's scoring champion had some of the lift that helped him score 81 points in a game against the Raptors last season.

"My leg feels good and I started getting some of that explosion," Bryant said. "I was able to turn it up. Four days off helped a lot."

In other games, it was: New Jersey 100, Indiana 91; Boston 118, Portland 90; Cleveland 92, Minnesota 76; Dallas 115, Memphis 103; San Antonio 100, Chicago 83; Detroit 100, Washington 91; Utah 118, Seattle 109; and Phoenix 106, Philadelphia 94.

Bryant reached the milestone with a 16-fooot jumper in the second quarter. At 28 years and 86 days, Bryant reached the mark faster than Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and O'Neal.

"It's cool, man," Bryant said. "It puts things in perspective. Twenty-eight is the new 38."

O'Neal will be sidelined four to six weeks after he tore cartilage in his left knee Sunday against Houston, an injury originally diagnosed as a hyperextended knee. The Heat somewhat held their own when they had to play without him last season, going 10-13.

But they looked bad with him sitting on the bench in sport coat and tie Friday, and they could be looking at perhaps 20-25 more games without him _ likely including the Christmas Day matchup with Bryant and the Lakers.

"Obviously we're going to have to gather the troops and do something different," coach Pat Riley said. "I think the guys have sort of been waiting for him to come back. Now we have to look in another direction."