Bryant lifts Lakers past Thunder for 1st road win

AP - By JEFF LATZKE

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Kobe Bryant scored 31 points including the go-ahead jumper in overtime as the Los Angeles Lakers got tested in their first road game of the season, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-98 on Tuesday night.

Bryant connected on a turnaround jumper from the left side with 2:29 to play to give the defending NBA champions a 99-97 lead and then hit two free throws with 18 seconds remaining to push the lead to three.

The Thunder had two chances to tie it late, but Thabo Sefolosha and Russell Westbrook each missed 3-pointers surrounding a pair of missed free throws by Lamar Odom.

Bryant grabbed the ball after Westbrook's miss and tossed it toward the opposite end of the court to allow the final seconds to run off the clock.

Bryant had been fighting through flulike symptoms earlier in the day but his fever went down before the game started. He ended up making 9 of 22 shots and turning the ball over seven times, but came through when it counted.

Kevin Durant led Oklahoma City with 28 points but airballed a pair of shots that could have given the Thunder the lead in the closing minute of regulation and overtime.

He dribbled the ball to run down the final few seconds of the fourth quarter before coming up empty on a deep 3-pointer from the right wing with 2.7 seconds left, but Sefolosha stole the Lakers' ensuing inbounds pass to send the game to overtime.

Durant then airballed a 17-foot jumper from the right side in the final 30 seconds of overtime that could've put Oklahoma City ahead again. Bryant was fouled intentionally and hit two free throws to provide the final margin.

Andrew Bynum added 22 points, Ron Artest scored 20 and Odom had 13 points and eight rebounds while starting again in place of the injured Pau Gasol.

Jeff Green had 18 points for Oklahoma City while Westbrook and Sefolosha each scored 12.

The Lakers have won their last 10 games against the Thunder franchise, dating back to its days in Seattle.

Sefolosha hit a 3-pointer and a driving finger roll to eliminate a five-point deficit for the Thunder in the final 3 minutes of regulation and tie the game at 88.

Bryant answered at the other end with a turnaround jumper over Sefolosha, but the Thunder got a chance to tie the game after Etan Thomas -- playing instead of starting center Nenad Krstic -- swatted Odom's floater with 1 minute to play.

Jeff Green's 12-foot jumper from the left wing tied it with 49.9 seconds left, and Bryant couldn't connect on a desperation 3-pointer at the shot clock buzzer to give Los Angeles a lead. Sefolosha tipped the ball away from Bryant, and he had to scramble to regain possession before shooting.