Four-Game Sweep Is Very Timely and Satisfying

The Lakers needed to sweep this four-game Eastern trip to keep chase on the Seattle SuperSonics and Utah Jazz, but they expected the result, what with the best of the opponents, the Cleveland Cavaliers, minus two key players because of suspensions and the three others either below or just above .500.

It became their first 4-0 trip since February 1987, complete with memorable showings at each stop.

- Tuesday at Toronto. Rick Fox returned to his hometown to get 31 points and 10 rebounds, both season highs.

- Thursday at New Jersey. Shaquille O’Neal returned to the outskirts of his hometown of Newark to score 50 points, the second-biggest output of his career and tying the most by any player this season.

- Friday at Cleveland. Mario Bennett returned to the rotation. Injuries to Robert Horry and Corie Blount gave him his first start of the season, and Bennett responded with a career-high 21 points, along with 10 rebounds.

- Sunday at Detroit. The Lakers erased an 18-point third-quarter deficit to win in overtime.

“We had a real good trip,” Kobe Bryant said after the 105-103 victory over the Pistons. “These were games we were expecting to win. But it was nice we were tested in the way we were tested tonight and we came through. That’s satisfying.”