Bryant scored a season-high 42 points but missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime as the Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Miami Heat, 104-102, in a highly anticipated reunion with former teammate O'Neal.
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O'Neal, who was greeted with a standing ovation during pregame introductions, collected 24 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in his first game against the Lakers -- whom he helped lead to three NBA titles and last season's Finals -- since being traded in the offseason.
Before the game, O'Neal and Bryant had a cold greeting at mid-court. O'Neal patted Bryant on the back and both players acknowledged each other with a nod.
O'Neal, who lobbied for a trade after he felt Bryant forced coach Phil Jackson's departure after losing to the Detroit Pistons in the Finals, said in the buildup to the game that he was "a brick wall" and Bryant "a Corvette," and that everybody knows what happens when a Corvette collides with a brick wall.
During the game, Bryant made a handful of drives to the basket but never was the recipient of an especially hard foul by O'Neal.
"I know there is a lot to talk about, the brick wall and all of that," Bryant said. "But I think that was just to hype the game. Ultimately (Shaq) is just going to come out here and play good basketball and that is what he did. The fans were treated to a good ballgame."
"I wanted to come in and get my team a win," O'Neal said. "I wasn't worried about doing anything crazy or out of my team's character. I would rather get a win every time."
With O'Neal having fouled out late in the fourth quarter, Dwyane Wade took over down the stretch for the Heat, scoring four of his 29 points in overtime, including a leaner in the paint with 2:08 left that opened a 104-99 cushion.
"We played just like every game when we had Shaq," Wade said. "And that's what this team does. We've all got each other's back. I just tried to be aggressive and make good passes and just try to make plays."
Los Angeles pulled within 104-102 on a 3-pointer by Lamar Odom, who contributed 24 points and 11 rebounds, with 1:11 to play in the extra session, but did not score again.
With 27 seconds to play, Lakers guard Chucky Atkins was called for charging, but Miami did not get a shot off before the 24-second clock expired, giving Los Angeles the ball back with 3.4 seconds to play.
The ball was worked to Bryant, who got a clean look at a 3-pointer from near the left hash mark but only could hit the front of the rim.
"I had a pretty good look," Bryant said of the final shot. "I did not get the balance that I would have liked to on the shot and as a consequence the shot went left."
The Lakers had trouble scoring in the fourth quarter, too, failing to make a basket after a banked jumper by Bryant gave them an 86-82 edge with 5:42 remaining.
"We dug in defensively and got some stops," Wade said. "We constantly talked about making them take tough shots because they were shooting the ball unbelievable in the first quarter. At the end we had to make them take tough shots, and I think we did a good job of that."
O'Neal fouled out with 2:15 left in regulation after bumping Bryant on a drive down the lane. Bryant sank the pair of free throws to give the Lakers a 93-91 lead but did not score thereafter.
"Shaq said to me to just go ahead and get this one for me," Wade said of O'Neal's departure. "And I said, 'I got you.'"
The game was tied, 94-94, when Wade missed a jumper with 23 seconds left. Heat forward Christian Laettner tapped the rebound back to his teammates, but Wade front-rimmed a jumper just before the buzzer, sending the game into overtime.
Despite the loss, the Lakers set a franchise record with 14 3-pointers, attempting 36.
"It was disappointing but it is a good learning experience for us," Bryant said. "We have been in so many of these games, about three or four of them against the top teams in the league, but have not been able to close them down. The more the season goes on, in January and February, you are going to see us winning these games. We are close."