Kobe Bryant News L.A. Lakers

Bryant helps Lakers rally past Warriors

The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors got an exciting taste of how competitive their potential playoff matchup might be.

Lamar Odom made the go-ahead layup with 9.1 seconds left in overtime, and Los Angeles shook off Golden State's frantic regulation rally to hang on for a 123-119 victory on Monday night, avenging its four-point loss one night earlier.

"We felt like we should've won the game last night, but Stephen (Jackson) made a couple of big shots, and tonight we made plays down the stretch," Los Angeles' Kobe Bryant said.

Kobe Bryant scored 23 of his 30 points after halftime while playing with a gash under his left eye, and Odom had 23 points and 21 rebounds as the Lakers reclaimed the Western Conference's top spot and avenged Sunday night's 111-115 defeat.

The Warriors are in eighth place in the conference, which means the teams would meet in the first round of the playoffs if they hang on to their spots. "I think both games, going down to the wire, they're good games," said Golden State's Baron Davis, who had 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

The Los Angeles Lakers also got a big break from referee Bob Delaney, who called Monta Ellis for a curious offensive foul on Derek Fisher - who didn't like the call any more than Ellis - before the Warriors could even inbound the ball with 4 seconds left in OT.

"It's unfortunate, in a situation like that, that we didn't get an opportunity to get a shot up," Davis said.

The game felt an awful lot like a playoff preview as Don Nelson kept Davis and Jackson on the floor the entire night, while Phil Jackson never took Odom out and gave Bryant just 65 seconds on the bench even after he got hit in the face inadvertently by Davis, causing a cut that required five postgame stitches.

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