SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Kobe Bryant hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left in regulation, then made the go-ahead jumper with 24 seconds left in overtime as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings 112-110 Thursday night.
Bryant, who had eight points in overtime, finished with 31 points and several staredowns of the heckling fans behind the Lakers' bench, while Shaquille O'Neal had 33 points and 16 rebounds.
The world champions went from the brink of an unlikely upset to their third straight win thanks to the poise of their two superstars.
O'Neal also blocked Peja Stojakovic's layup attempt with six seconds left in overtime as the Lakers avoided losing to a fired-up Kings team playing without Chris Webber and Jason Williams.
Doug Christie scored 19 of his season-high 32 points after halftime, and Stojakovic had 29 points and 17 rebounds. Sacramento had its five-game winning streak snapped and lost at home for the first time this season.
The Kings began the game without Webber, their leading scorer and rebounder, who missed his second game with a sprained left ankle. Then, just 39 seconds into the second half, the Kings lost Williams to a sprained right ankle.
Sacramento jumped ahead of the Lakers with an impressive burst of offense in the second half and led 91-78 with nine minutes to play. But the Lakers battled back with O'Neal and Bryant leading the way, and they pulled within one in the final minute.
Stojakovic blew past Robert Horry for a layup to put Sacramento up by three, but after Brian Shaw missed with six seconds left, he passed out to Bryant, who drilled a long 3-pointer from straightaway.
The game was the first meeting between the teams since their contentious first-round playoff series last spring. Sacramento lost twice at Staples Center, but won two elimination games at Arco Arena before losing the deciding fifth game in Los Angeles.
The hard feelings from the series haven't subsided, as shown by the ''Beat L.A.!'' chants throughout the stadium and the staredown between Williams and O'Neal after a collision in the first half. After Bryant hit his game-tying 3-pointer in regulation, he spent several seconds staring down a heckler.
The Kings completely abandoned an inside game with Webber out and O'Neal patrolling the middle. Instead, Christie and Stojakovic led an outside barrage of offense, while Vlade Divac and Scot Pollard tried to keep the ball out of O'Neal's hands on defense.
Notes:
Williams, who had 11 points and seven assists in his best half since returning from a five-game drug suspension, collapsed on the court and was helped to the locker room by teammates. ... Sacramento doesn't play again until Wednesday night against Chicago. The five days off comprise the Kings' longest break of the regular season. ... San Francisco 49ers receiver Terrell Owens, who didn't practice with the 49ers on Thursday because of turf toe, was in the front row at Arco Arena.
