Kobe Bryant scored 41 points on Wednesday to help the Los Angeles Lakers post their second straight overtime victory, 103-102 over the Houston Rockets.
Andrew Bynum added 17 points with 17 rebounds for the Lakers, while Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza scored 15 points apiece in their first meeting since they swapped teams in July.
The Rockets inked Ariza less than a week after Artest departed Houston for the Lakers.
Carl Landry scored 20 points to lead six Rockets players in double figures for Houston. Luis Scola added 16 points and 13 rebounds and Chuck Hayes had 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Artest and Ariza guarded each other much of the game, and both hit three-pointers in the final minute of regulation.
Artest’s three with 30 seconds to play put the Lakers up 92-89.
Ariza won a jump ball with 19.6 seconds to play, got the ball back and drained a three-pointer with 14.2 seconds left.
Bryant had the ball in the final seconds of regulation, but Hayes smacked it out of bounds and the Rockets knocked away the long inbound pass as time expired.
With 90 seconds left in overtime, Bryant hit a jump shot from the free-throw line. He then hit a free-throw for a 100-98 Lakers lead.
Aaron Brooks’ layup tied it again, before Bynum’s free throws with 44.2 seconds left in overtime put the Lakers up.
After Landry hit a hook shot for the Rockets, Bynum responded by making one of two free throws.
Ariza had the ball in the final seconds, but Derek Fisher stripped the ball and time expired.
■HEAT 93, WIZARDS 89
AFP, WASHINGTON
Dwyane Wade’s 40 points included a go-ahead jump shot with 25 seconds remaining as Miami notched a 93-89 victory over Washington.
It marked the first time Wade had scored 40 points since he posted a career-high 55 in April against New York.
Quentin Richardson had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Heat, who improved to 4-1.
Wade seized the spotlight from the Wizards’ Gilbert Arenas, who scored 32 points but was only nine-of-27 from the field.
“This was one of those games where you have to will your team to victory as the leader,” Wade said. “As the guy they look to, I took it upon myself to get the job done.”
Wade’s performance came a day after he scored 23 points in 38 minutes against Phoenix, but when coach Erik Spoelstra looked inquiringly at Wade to see if he wanted to rest, Wade was clearly unwilling to go.
“I ain’t going nowhere,” Wade said.
Spoelstra said that, upon reflection, it was a good move to keep Wade in.
“I decided they probably weren’t going to take out their guys either,” Spoelstra said.
Wednesday’s other results:
• Magic 122, Suns 100
• Nuggets 122, Nets 94
• Celtics 92, Timberwolves 90
• Pacers 101, Knicks 89
• Raptors 110, Pistons 99
• Hawks 113, Kings 105
• Hornets 114, Mavericks 107, OT
• Warriors 113, Grizzlies 105
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