sure we come out in the right areas and execute it."

KITZBUEHEL, Austria - The disputed and sometimes dangerous jump at the end of the Kitzbuehel course is back.Seven years after American skier Scott Macartneys near-fatal crash, racers in Saturdays downhill will be airborne again just before crossing the finish line.Organizers changed the bottom of the hill after Macartney in 2008, and Switzerlands Daniel Albrecht the following year, suffered life-threatening brain injuries when they lost their balance in the air and smashed on the icy slope in two similar, horrifying crashes.However, the section was better marked and less dangerous, organizers said. And the jump hasnt caused major troubles in the two trainings this week.Its working pretty good, Hannes Trinkl, the FIS director for mens speed races, said. Its wide enough, and its very important that its not too high. Its a really nice jump.Bringing back one of the marquee segments of the classic downhill was a wish from local organizers.It belongs to Kitz and it isnt something dangerous, chief of race Peter Obernauer said. Its precisely marked now. The racer knows exactly where he will take off and can prepare for it.That was the problem in 2008 when Macartney, racing on his 30th birthday, approached the finish while going nearly 140 kph (90 mph) and misjudged the jump, as U.S. mens head coach Sasha Rearick recalled it.We have to be careful to make sure that the take-off point is very well defined because that was the cause of the accidents in the past, Rearick said. In Scotts case, they brought the cats in to do some work on the jump. It changed where the take-off point was so that was not easily seen at inspection.Macartney slammed his head on the snow, lost his helmet and slid unconscious across the finish line.Twelve months later, Albrecht leaned backward on the same jump, failed to adjust his position, and landed on his back and head.Macartney and Albrecht, who was the super-combined world champion at that time, were kept in an induced coma to prevent brain damage. They finally returned to the World Cup but retired after failing to reach their old level.Weeks ago, the International Ski Federation discussed restoring the jump with the racers.They asked us about it in Santa Caterina, American downhiller Steven Nyman said. The biggest thing is the in-run needs to be clean, and its fine. They made a great in-run to it, and the jump is shaped well.According to Nyman, the section wasnt built as well the year Macartney crashed.They just kind of put it in there and they had waves in it, Nyman said. It was bad.Like Nyman, Rearick didnt expect the jump to be an issue on race day, even if skiers will jump at a higher pace than during training.The finish jump is fine, is good. Its well done, Rearick said. For me, its built in the right spot, at the right height.Course workers made tweaks to several potentially dangerous spots on the course following the first training on Tuesday, as Manuel Osborne-Paradis of Canada and Christof Innerhofer of Italy were thrown off-course.The Italian was unhurt, but Osborne-Paradis withdrew, as he also crashed in a downhill in Wengen, Switzerland, last Sunday.Its tough to not race the Super Bowl of skiing but accidents happen and luckily its only bruises, the Canadian said.Another jump, at the so-called Mausefalle (mouse trap), was lowered after complaints from athletes representative, Kjetil Jansrud.They took away just a little bit but its good, the Norwegian said after his final training run Thursday. Its Kitzbuehel, and this is not a kids race. 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LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant is swiftly regaining his confidence and timing. His conditioning improves daily, and hes already leading the Los Angeles Lakers in scoring again. Yet thanks to Goran Dragic and the exciting Phoenix Suns, Kobe still doesnt have a victory. Dragic scored 12 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter and the Suns beat the Lakers 114-108 Tuesday night, dropping Bryant to 0-2 in his comeback. Bryant scored 20 points while playing 29 mostly sharp minutes in his second game back from nearly eight months out with a torn Achilles tendon. He led a fourth-quarter rally by the Lakers, but they only got within four points with 3 minutes left before Phoenix held on. Bryant gave his performance a "B" grade, but realizes hes got more work to do -- both on his game and his chemistry with the rest of the Lakers. Bryant had just three turnovers against Phoenix after committing eight in his season debut two days ago against Toronto, but contributed just two rebounds and three assists while the Suns comfortably held on. "Its a process," Bryant said. "You just continue to figure out what you can and cant do. Every game, you try to step up and do a little bit more and just go from there." The Suns handled the Lakers with teamwork, shredding Los Angeles lousy defence during a 35-point fourth quarter to earn their first three-game winning streak of the season. Marcus Morris scored 22 points and Eric Bledsoe had 18 points and nine assists for the surprising Suns, who never trailed after the opening minutes. Phoenix held off the Lakers with superb fourth-quarter play from both Morris brothers, who scored nine points apiece down the stretch. Markieff Morris finished with 15 points. "We kept pushing the ball and didnt slow it down too much," Marcus Morris said of the fourth quarter. "We came out with a lot of energy and kind of got them on their toes. They were playing small, so we had a great opportunity to attack the boards. And thats what we did." Pau Gasol scored 19 points while Jodie Meeks, Nick Young and Jordan Hill added 13 apiece for the Lakers, who have lost three of four to fall back below .dddddddddddd00. Los Angeles NBA-best bench contributed 43 points while using just four reserves, but Phoenix dominated the boards, outrebounding the Lakers 43-33. Phoenix hadnt beaten the Lakers at Staples Center since November 2010. "I think we have a group of guys who play hard all the time, and theyre not selfish," Phoenix coach Jeff Hornacek said. "They genuinely like each other to do well. If guys take bad shots, well take them out of the game. But for the most part, they run our offence. Weve got two great point guards in Goran -- who had a great game -- and Eric." Dragic hit two 3-pointers and didnt miss any of his 11 free throws, finishing one point shy of his career high in his latest outstanding performance against the Lakers. Phoenixs small, active lineup led by Dragic and Bledsoe was too much for the slower Lakers in the final minutes. "Its there. Weve just got to execute a little better," Bryant said. "The willingness and competitiveness is there. We just have to make sure we come out in the right areas and execute it." The game was another bump in a long road for Bryant, who had nine points in a rocky season debut on Sunday night. But Kobe felt fresher than expected after his first game since April, and coach Mike DAntoni is still limiting Bryants minutes to keep him healthy for the teams stretch of four road games in five nights starting later this week. Bryant started off his night against Phoenix with his first dunk of the season off a two-footed leap in the first quarter. Bryant still emphasized playmaking over shooting, but played a more polished floor game in the first half with 10 points, just one turnover and two assists, including the pass for Gasols buzzer-beating jumper. NOTES: Shawne Williams got a technical foul in the final seconds of the first half for putting a forearm into Dragic, who crashed to the ground. ... DAntoni changed his lineup, putting Meeks and Williams in the starting five and bumping C Robert Sacre to the bench. ... Phoenix C Alex Len didnt play with a sore left ankle. ' ' '