National Basketball Association

Bryant leads Lakers to 98-92 win over Rockets

Published Nov. 20, 2014 12:20 a.m. ET

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HOUSTON (AP) Kobe Bryant had 29 points, Wesley Johnson made key free throws down the stretch and the Los Angeles Lakers took advantage of Dwight Howard's absence Wednesday night in a 98-92 victory over the Houston Rockets.

It was the second consecutive win for the Lakers following a 1-9 start.

Los Angeles used a 7-1 run, highlighted by Bryant's three-point play and capped by four free throws from Johnson, to take a 94-92 lead with less than a minute left. Nick Young and Bryant added two free throws apiece to secure the victory.

Tarik Black, a rookie who was filling in for the injured Howard (knee), missed a free throw and a jump shot down the stretch.

James Harden had 24 points for the Rockets, who dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Los Angeles took its first lead since the second quarter when Young capped an 8-0 run with a nifty reverse layup to make it 82-81 midway through the fourth. Houston missed three 3-pointers and had a turnover during that stretch.

The Rockets outscored Los Angeles 8-2 after that to regain an 89-84 lead.

The Lakers used a 9-0 run at the end of the third quarter and early in the fourth to cut Houston's lead to 75-74. Ed Davis led the way with four points.

The Rockets broke a scoring drought of 4 minutes with a 3-pointer by Patrick Beverley, and another 3 - this one by Jason Terry - extended the lead to 81-74 with 8 1/2 minutes remaining.

Kostas Papanikolaou had a season-high 19 points for Houston. Beverley added 15.

Howard sat out with a strained right knee, announced just minutes before the game, and his absence eliminated the drama that accompanied Houston's opening-night win over the Lakers.

In that game, Howard had 13 points and 11 rebounds and got into a shouting match with Bryant, his ex-teammate. They received matching technical fouls when Howard elbowed Bryant in the face after grabbing a rebound in the fourth quarter.

Howard spurned the Lakers in 2013 after one season with them to take about $30 million less as a free agent in Houston.

Harden's scoring spree pushed Houston's lead to 75-65 in the third, but then the Lakers scored the last five points of the quarter.

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TIP-INS

Lakers: Los Angeles made 19 of 23 free throws. ... Bryant has led the team in scoring 10 times this season.

Rockets: F Terrence Jones missed his eighth straight game with nerve inflammation in his left leg. Coach Kevin McHale said Jones is slowly getting better. ... Trevor Ariza had a pair of steals for his NBA-leading ninth game this season with at least two.

UP NEXT

Lakers: Visit Dallas on Friday.

Rockets: Host Dallas on Saturday.