Bryant, Lakers rally to slip past Bobcats

LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant scored four of his 30 points in the final 1:26, and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame an 18-point third-quarter deficit to beat Charlotte 101-100 on Tuesday night, handing the Bobcats their 12th straight loss.

Jodie Meeks and Metta World Peace each had 17 points for the Lakers, who won their third straight to match their longest winning streak of the season.

Pau Gasol, back after missing eight games with tendinitis in both knees, had 10 points and nine rebounds in 30 minutes and shot 3-for-10 for the Lakers.

World Peace, who had a career-high 16 rebounds in the Lakers' 111-98 victory at Philadelphia on Sunday, was not in the starting lineup for the first time after starting the first 25 games. Reserve center Jordan Hill missed his third straight game because of back spasms.

Kemba Walker led Charlotte with 28 points, reserve Ramon Sessions added 20, and Gerald Henderson had 19. Byron Mullens had 13 points and 17 rebounds for the Bobcats.

The Bobcats, who haven't won since beating the league-worst Wizards in double overtime Nov. 24, are 14-76 since the start of last season and haven't won back-to-back games since the final two in 2010-11. Their seven wins already have matched their total from last season's lockout-shortened 66-game campaign, when they lost their final 23.

The Lakers, who came in 0-12 when trailing after three quarters, fell behind 80-62 after Walker capped a 14-5 run on a driving layup with 5:38 left in the third. Charlotte took a seven-point margin into the fourth, but that quickly evaporated as Los Angeles opened the quarter with a 13-0 run to grab a 90-84 lead.

Meeks tied it on a 3-pointer from the left corner. Bryant's three-point play 25 seconds later put the Lakers up 87-84.