The Los Angeles Lakers will continue their playoff push Friday night when they host the visiting Toronto Raptors to the Staples Center at 10:30 p.m. ET.
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A remarkable comeback in their latest contest showed how serious the Lakers appear to be about making a push for the playoffs.
Trailing by as many as 25 points, Kobe Bryant scored 13 of his 42 during a 20-0 run over the final 6:22 to help Los Angeles (31-31) win 108-102 at New Orleans on Wednesday. It was the Lakers' 14th win in 20 games and a strong indication that they're poised to leave the previous turmoil of the season in the past and move back into playoff position.
Los Angeles, which was last above .500 at 6-5 on Nov. 20, is 1 1/2 games behind Utah for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Averaging 35.1 points on 56.4 percent shooting in the last seven games, Bryant again was the driving force one night after he scored 30 while playing through an elbow injury in a 122-105 loss at Oklahoma City. He scored 18 in the fourth quarter and had 12 assists Wednesday.
Even with star Pau Gasol out with a foot injury, the Lakers are in a better place than they were while losing 10 of 12 in January. That rut included a 108-103 loss at Toronto (24-38) on Jan. 20 that snapped a four-game series winning streak. Bryant scored 26 and Steve Nash added 16 with nine assists but Howard was limited to five points with two boards before being ejected late in the first half for drawing his second technical foul.
Los Angeles has won nine straight over the Raptors at home, where it's averaged 105.4 points and shot 50.1 percent to win eight of nine overall. Toronto is 2-13 all-time at Los Angeles, but its last two defeats there came by a combined seven points.
Toronto snapped a five-game slide by shooting 48.1 percent during a 98-71 win at Phoenix on Wednesday. DeMar DeRozan scored 15 to lead six Toronto players in double figures and help the Raptors win for the second time in eight games.