Horry, Payton Will Have Some Extra Incentive

The grudge between the Lakers and Seattle SuperSonics now includes one between Robert Horry and Gary Payton, played out in the third quarter Monday at Seattle, but apparently not all the way out. Horry said Payton threw three elbows at him; Payton said Horry intentionally stuck his hip out to force a collision on the ensuing possession, knocking Payton to the ground and leaving him rubbing his side for the next several minutes.

“He ought to watch where he’s going,” Horry said later.

He’ll be watching Friday.

“Everything is going to come back to somebody, and he and I will work it out when the time comes,” Payton said.

The Laker power forward insisted he was merely flashing into the lane to establish position for a catch or rebound when the SuperSonic point guard cut through on defense. Horry and Seattle’s Vin Baker exchanged words, though not heatedly. When Payton got up and went to the huddle for a timeout, he was not so low-key, pointing several times down to the visiting bench.

It continued amazingly when play resumed, a wide-eyed Payton jawing at Horry, then on the bench, at the same time he was attempting to apply a backcourt press on Derek Fisher.

Horry gestured back to Payton, as if calling him over.

“He was talking like, ‘I’m gonna get you,’ ” Horry said. “I was like, ‘C’mon over then.’ ”

Emotions calmed from there, at least outwardly. But the SuperSonics were not about to forget.

“To us,” Seattle Coach George Karl said, “it was very blatant. And it was very, very illegal.”

TONIGHT

Los Angeles vs. Phoenix

* 7:30

* Fox Sports West

Site--Great Western Forum.

Radio--KLAC (570), KWKW (1330).

Records--Lakers 45-19, Suns 44-21.

Record vs. Suns--1-1.

Update--This doesn’t have the hype of the previous Laker game and the next Laker game, both against the SuperSonics, but it carries implications nonetheless, with the Suns hoping to apply major pressure in a bid for the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference standings. Monday’s game at Seattle marked the first time Kobe Bryant did not score in almost one year, since last March 21 at Miami. He took only one shot in 14 minutes against the SuperSonics.