Huge 4th Propels Lakers Past Kings

The Lakers were trailing by 13 points going into the fourth quarter against the Kings when Kobe turned it on and the Lakers cashed in for a 36-18 run. Half of Bryant's 34 points came in that surge, and the result was a 117-105 win that recalled the teams' rivalry of old, the Los Angeles Times reports. Meanwhile, in Portland:

The Suns started out strong against the Blazers, getting three-pointers from the bench and building up a 42-24 lead. "Now, can we extend that for 48 minutes?" wondered coach Mike D'Antoni as Portland made serious attempts at a comeback in the second half before a relieved Phoenix locked up a 97-92 win.