Purple reign

Too much Kobe. What, after a night when he was forced to watch his team lose from a hotel room, you expected a Sedale Threatt impersonation?

Kobe Bryant, the Lakers' celestial one, ripped the Celtics to shreds with 43 points (seven 3-pointers and one jaw-dropping dunk), 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in a command performance last night, leading Los Angeles to a 111-98 victory. It got so bad at the end that (supposed) Celtics fans chanted, "Kobe" and "MVP," perhaps hoping for one more 3-pointer, jam, or sleight of hand.

Didn't happen. Didn't need to happen. But the fact that the chants happened -- by all those great Celtics fans we're assured are really out there -- stunned many in the Lakers' entourage, most notably trainer Gary Vitti, who was around for the real Lakers-Celtics battles in the 1980s and figured he'd see God first before he heard an MVP chant for a Laker in Boston.

But the chants were hard to miss. Then again, many of those among the eighth sellout of the season wore Lakers garb and cheered openly for the once-hated purple and gold. When you've lost 13 straight overall, tying the franchise record, and you've lost 10 straight at home, extending the franchise record, what else is there? The Celtics haven't won a home game since Dec. 15, or since the Republicans still controlled Congress and Jack Bauer was still in China.

For the Lakers and their extended posse, it was a pretty painless enterprise. The visitors trailed only once (4-2) and never really allowed the Celtics to stage one of their frantic (and futile) finishes of late. Kobe, suspended by the NBA for Tuesday's game against the Knicks, is the reason for that.

With 6:50 remaining, Brian Scalabrine (season-high 17) had just hit a runner to cut a onetime Laker lead of 14 points in half. In came Bryant, who had had all of two minutes' rest. A pretty drive/finger roll started the Lakers on a game-deciding, building-emptying 9-4 run, which blew the lead out to 100-88 with 3:06 to play. Bryant also had an across-the-lane floater in the burst. Then came the fun stuff.

In a span of 66 seconds, he knocked down two 3-pointers and added a ridiculous dunk, one on which he went under the basket and came back up looking like a hungry shark. Those three plays got what was left of the crowd into Official Slobber Mode, which in turn led to the chants.

"He's the best player I ever have played against," gushed Gerald Green, who occasionally held his own against the Laker supernova, scoring 22 points and adding five assists without a turnover. "When he retires, he's going to be one of the best, if not the best, to ever play the game. All I tried to do was contain him because he's capable of doing so much out there."

And Bryant had help. Smush Parker scored 19 points. Lamar Odom had 10 points and nine rebounds, while Ronny Turiaf had 9 points and 10 rebounds. "They play off that one guy quite well," Doc Rivers said of the Lakers and Bryant.

The Celtics got 23 points from Ryan Gomes and 10 points and 14 rebounds from Al Jefferson, but the numbers that stick are the ones in the `'L" column. This team has now matched the dysfunctional troupes from 1997 and 1994 for consecutive defeats and needs to beat the Clippers tomorrow night -- here -- to avoid setting the record. But the Celtics also are a dreadful 4-18 at home.

"I'm not going to lie to you, it's tough. It's starting to get to us," Green said of the losing. "But we can't back down."

Both teams had played the night before, but the Lakers had the fresher legs at the outset. They led, 35-23, after one, even though Kobe waited more than eight minutes before attempting a shot. (He still had 8 points in the quarter.) Parker was going early and the Lakers shot 57 percent.

From there, it was game of catch-up (for the Celtics) and pullaway (for the Lakers). The Celtics tied things three times in the second, only to see the Lakers close with a 10-2 run. They got within a point in the third -- then were quickly down by 7 after two Kobe 3-pointers. And at the end of the third, the Celtics were still within 7 and had a chance to get closer. But Wally Szczerbiak (a rusty 1 of 5) lost the ball, Bryant scooped it up, and, with less than three ticks left, carefully pulled up and measured a 30-footer. It swished through as the horn sounded as oohs and aahs echoed around the building.

All in all, you have to say the fans got what they paid for. And by now, they have come to understand that a Boston win is not part of the deal.

Peter May can be reached at P_May@globe.com.