PHOENIX — Kobe Bryant didn't score, the Phoenix Suns couldn't run.

Nothing was quite as it was supposed to be when the Suns escaped with a 107-102 victory over Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers yesterday.

Tim Thomas had 22 points and a career playoff-high 15 rebounds for the Suns, who nearly succumbed to coach Phil Jackson's game plan of going inside against the small Phoenix lineup, then turning to Bryant to finish it off.

"We certainly didn't play very well," the Suns' Steve Nash said. "We look at that as a positive. We didn't play well and we found a way to win, and we've got a lot of improvement to make."

Thomas, sent home by the Chicago Bulls for what they thought was a bad attitude for most of this season, then released and signed by Phoenix on March 3, made his first eight shots and finished 8 for 10, 4 for 5 from 3-point range.

"I was just aggressive on both ends," Thomas said.

Nash had 20 points, including a crucial 3-pointer with 1:07 to play, and 10 assists.

The Suns made 32 of 35 free throws.

"The Phoenix Suns set a record for fewest free throws in the league," Jackson said, "and here they have 35 free throws. This is a team we told our guys not to foul, and we end up sending them to the line 35 times."

Shawn Marion added 19 points, Boris Diaw 15 and Leandro Barbosa 15.

Bryant, the NBA scoring champion with 35.4 points per game, scored 22 points on 7-for-21 shooting, 1 of 6 3s.

"Our game plan was to exploit the middle and do the things we wanted to, but he (Bryant) was still supposed to be a force over on that side of the offense," Jackson said. "I just felt he never really got in rhythm until the end, and we said 'Just go after it.' "

After a 39-point first quarter, the Suns rarely got their high-speed game in gear.

Trailing by as many as 14 in the second quarter and down 58-50 at the break, the Lakers used a balanced attack and took advantage of the Suns' poor shooting to tie it at 75 after three quarters.

Sasha Vujacic's 3-pointer from the top of the key gave the Lakers their first lead since early in the first quarter, 80-79, with 10:01 to play. Thomas returned to the game and sank the Suns' first 3-pointer since the opening quarter to put Phoenix back ahead 82-80, 9:25 from the finish.

The Suns used free throws to go up 88-82 with 6:21 left. Thomas' 3-pointer with 5:15 to go put Phoenix ahead 93-85 and Barbosa's 3 made it 98-89 with 3:49 to go.

The Lakers, though, scored six in a row. Raja Bell missed a running 14-footer, but Diaw tipped the rebound to Nash, whose 3 put Phoenix ahead 101-95 with 1:07 left.