Kobe masks angst after beating Heat

LOS ANGELES -- Although Kobe Bryant hates to disappoint everyone who thinks his 33-point performance in a win over the Miami Heat was payback to Dwyane Wade for breaking his nose in the All-Star Game the previous week, that particular Hollywood fable isn't true.

"He knew I was going to be ready regardless," Bryant said.

Yet the legend of the Masked Mamba only will grow after the Los Angeles Lakers struck a few blows in this previously one-sided matchup with mighty Miami.

Bryant produced his third straight dynamic 30-point game while wearing a clear protective mask over his still-tender nose, while Wade managed 16 points before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 93-83 victory Sunday.

Metta World Peace scored 17 points while leading a solid defensive effort for the Lakers, who have won 17 of their past 18 home games and eight of 10 overall. Andrew Bynum had 16 points and 13 rebounds as Los Angeles never trailed in the final 44 minutes against Miami, snapping a four-game skid in Bryant's head-to-head matchups with Wade's Heat.

"We did extremely well," said Bryant, who had 24 points in the Lakers' loss in Miami six weeks ago. "I felt like we matched their energy and their physicality, which was a problem for us in Miami."

One week after Wade also gave Bryant a concussion with that hard foul in Orlando, Bryant scored 18 points in a dynamic first quarter. He added enough big baskets in the second half to keep the Lakers ahead with help from his starting frontcourt of Pau Gasol, Bynum and World Peace, which combined for 44 points and 30 rebounds while Chris Bosh remained out of Miami's lineup.

Although the Staples Center crowd roundly booed Wade during pregame introductions and the first few times he touched the ball, Wade apologized profusely after the All-Star Game to Bryant, his fellow U.S. Olympian. Bryant insisted he bore no grudge, saying Wade never would injure him on purpose.

LeBron James had 25 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Heat, who lost on the final two stops of their three-game trip after nine straight victories. Only Mike Miller's jumper with 21.4 seconds left saved Miami from its lowest-scoring performance of the season.

Mario Chalmers scored 15 points for the Heat, who played their third straight game without Bosh after the All-Star forward attended his grandmother's funeral on Saturday.

Wade fouled out for the fifth time in his regular-season career and the first time in 259 games, dating to Oct. 29, 2008.