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January 5, 2012

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Kobe back in form as Lakers go top


KOBE Bryant rediscovered his scoring touch to tally 37 points and lead the Los Angeles Lakers to top spot in the Pacific division with a 108-99 win over the visiting Houston Rockets on Tuesday.

Bryant, who had connected on just 26 percent of his shots over his previous two games, finally caught fire against the Rockets while teammate Andrew Bynum had 21 points and 22 rebounds as the Lakers got their fourth win in five games.

"I just had to make some adjustments," Bryant told reporters as he continues to play with an injured right wrist. "Some shots (it) hurts, some it doesn't, so it's inconsistent. But you have to find a rhythm."

Los Angeles held an 82-81 lead with about 10 minutes remaining of a previously tight contest but outscored the Rockets 18-8 over the next eight minutes, led by nine points from Bryant during the stretch. Bryant made 14-of-29 shots and also had eight rebounds and six assists.

The win moved the Lakers (4-3) a half-game in front of the cross-town Clippers in the division.

The Rockets (2-3), meanwhile, have lost all three of their road games this season. Houston's Kyle Lowry just missed a triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds while Luis Scola added 20 points.

The visitors stayed in touch with the Lakers throughout the game, trailing by four at halftime and just one after three quarters, but they were pounded on the inside.

Los Angeles grabbed a 53-38 advantage in rebounds led by 7-footer Bynum.

In Chicago, Luol Deng's layup with 3.7 seconds to play lifted the Bulls to a nail-biting 76-74 comeback victory over the Atlanta Hawks.



 

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