Kobe scores season-high 48 as Lakers win in OT

In their first game without Andrew Bynum, the road-weary Los Angeles Lakers found out they can defeat a lower-tier team without their budding young center.

They would prefer that it not take 48 points and an OT-winner from Kobe Bryant on a regular basis to survive for approximately the next eight weeks without Bynum.

Bryant completed his season-high offensive output by hitting an 18-footer with 4.3 seconds left in overtime to beat the Seattle SuperSonics 123-121 on January 14.

It was the seventh win in a row for the Lakers, the team's longest winning streak since rolling off 11 straight in March 2004. On the road, on consecutive nights, and having just gotten news Bynum would be out until at least March, the Lakers withstood every charge from the Sonics.

Having Bryant certainly helped.

A tired Bryant indicated that the game was a tough one. "Us kind of being a little deflated with [Bynum] going down, being a back-to-back, coming in on the road, it was one of those things where I just kind of wanted to be a lot more assertive."

How assertive? Bryant took 44 shots, just three below his career high of 47.

Before the game, Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo said he wouldn't mind if Bryant scored a lot just as long as he was forced to take many shots. The coach just didn't figure on Bryant making nearly half of his attempts, making 21 field goals.

Bryant has scored over 40 points for the 87th times, one behind Elgin Baylor for third all-time in NBA history.

Seattle took advantage of Bynum's absence inside and almost kept the Lakers from tying the Phoenix Suns on top of the Pacific Division. Instead, they lost for the seventh straight time..

Nick Collison scored 24 points and pulled down 18 rebounds, and Kevin Durant had 19 points, but missed 20 shots.

Bynum was averaging 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds for the Lakers and will now have to watch from the sidelines. The team from Los Angeles have now won 17 of their last 20.

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