Los Angeles Lakers scored the first 15 points of the fourth quarter Monday night for a 98-92 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Kobe Bryant scored 11 points, and his teammates carried the Lakers to their 18th win in 19 home games in a remarkable fourth-quarter rally led almost entirely by reserves. Bryant again appeared to be feeling the effects of his sore back and broken finger.
Kobe fell well short of the 30 points he needed to become the youngest player in NBA history to score 25,000 points in front of the home fans before the Lakers’ lengthy road trip.
Shannon Brown scored a career-high 22 points, Pau Gasol had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Brown scored nine points in the fourth, while Lamar Odom and
Jordan Farmar combined for 13 straight points while Los Angeles roared away in the opening minutes of the final period.
Odom had nine points, 16 rebounds and five assists. Farmar had 11 points.
