Kobe Bryant had 29 points and eight assists and Pau Gasol scored 24 points to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to a 101-96 overtime victory over the Orlando Magic in game two of the National Basketball Association Finals
Kobe Bryant had 29 points and eight assists and Pau Gasol scored 24 points to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to a 101-96 overtime victory over the Orlando Magic in game two of the National Basketball Association Finals on Sunday.
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Lamar Odom added 19 points for the Lakers, who seized a two games to none lead in the best-of-seven championship series.
Rashard Lewis scored 18 of his game-high 34 points in the second quarter and Dwight Howard had 17 points and 16 rebounds for Orlando, who were trying to gain a split in Los Angeles after being run off the court in game one.
Hedo Tukoglu scored 22 points for the Magic, who had a chance to win the game with just under a second
remaining but saw Courtney Lee's shot off the glass bounced off the rim.
Game three is Tuesday in Orlando.
The Lakers are seeking their 15th NBA title while the Magic are hoping to win their first in franchise history.
Orlando's coach Stan Van Gundy made adjustments in game two which paid off but they suffered from too many turnovers and couldn't step up their game in overtime like the Lakers did.
Orlando finished with 20 turnovers to just 12 for the Lakers.
Howard had seven turnovers but played much better than his disappointing performance in game one as he chipped in with four assists, four steals and four blocks.
The game turned out to be a defensive struggle as the two teams combined for just 30 points in the first quarter. They battled down the stretch exchanging base line drives, three-point daggers and crucial field goals.
The Lakers shot 46.2 percent, including 24-of-28 from the free-throw line.
Odom and Gasol made key free throw baskets in the overtime as the Lakers went on a 7-0 run in extra time.
The Lakers won the first game in a blowout but the Magic made them work for the win in game two.
When Phil Jackson's teams win the first game of a playoff series they are a perfect 43-0. Jackson is seeking his 10th NBA title, which would enable him to surpass Boston Celtics legendary coach Red Auerbach.
He had a chance to break the mark three times, including last year when the Lakers lost to the Celtics in six games.
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