NEW YORK, 27 December 2005 — Shaquille O’Neal scored 18 points and pulled down 17 rebounds to counter a 37-point effort by former teammate Kobe Bryant in leading the Miami Heat to a 97-92 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

In a Christmas Day clash rich with sub-plots, O’Neal and Bryant renewed their bitter rivalry but it was another former Laker that helped clinch victory for the Heat, Gary Payton hitting for 21 points, including a clutch go-ahead three-pointer with just 65 seconds to play.

Payton’s long shot made a winner of yet another Los Angeles alumni as Heat coach Pat Riley got the better of his old rival Phil Jackson, who returned to the Lakers this season after guiding Bryant and O’Neal to three NBA titles before retiring in 2004.

However, it was Bryant and O’Neal that a sellout crowd at Miami’s American Airlines Arena had come to see, some paying scalpers as much as $1,000 for a seat.

The duo’s relationship seemed as strained as ever as they refused to acknowledge each other before the opening tip-off.

Following the match, O’Neal was asked for his relationship with Bryant and stared blankly into television cameras before offering a simple “Merry Christmas”. “We were a little bit anxious for a win today,” O’Neal added. “We played well. It’s just another game to me.” Dwyane Wade, who went head-to-head much of the contest with Bryant, contributed 18 points to the Miami total while Jason Williams chipped in with 14 as the Heat won for the sixth time in eight games.

Brian Cook hit for 15 points for the Lakers, while Lamar Odom had 14 points and 16 rebounds.

Tied 91-91 with less than two minutes to play, Odom hit a free throw to give the Lakers their last lead of the game before Payton put Miami ahead to stay 94-92 with his three-pointer from the left flank. Wade then added three free throws to seal the win.

In Auburn Hills, Chauncey Billups scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds to guide the Detroit Pistons to an 85-70 win over the defending NBA champions San Antonio Spurs in a rematch of last year’s finals.

The clash at the Palace at Auburn Hills was the first between the teams since the Spurs claimed the title last year and a preview of what many predict will be this season’s championship final.

Winners of the last three NBA crowns between them, both the Pistons and Spurs remain among the league’s best, topping their respective conferences.

The Pistons exacted a small measure of revenge for their finals defeat with a dominating display and extended their winning streak to seven games while improving their record to a league best 22-3. The surging Pistons have won 13 of their last 14 games and have been almost unbeatable at home with a 10-1 record.

Rasheed Wallace contributed 14 points to the Pistons cause while Ben Wallace ruled the boards pulling down a season best 21 rebounds while chipping in with 10 points.

Tony Parker paced the Spurs with 19 points while Tim Duncan was limited to 18 and 11 rebounds.

“It was a big game and we looked forward to it,” said Billups. “It’s always big when you are playing the best. “I think we did a pretty good job on Duncan.” After falling behind by as much as 10 points early in the game, the Spurs staged a rally that trimmed the deficit to 57-53 entering the final period.

However, the NBA champions could get no closer, slumping to just their third defeat in eight games.

“What you see today and what you’ve seen through 22 wins is that we’ve had different people carry us,” Detroit coach Flip Saunders said.

“That’s what has made this team a very good team.”