NBA PLAYOFFS Bryant's buzzer shot lifts Lakers

His overtime jumper beat Phoenix 99-98 and gave LA a 3-1 series lead.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Lakers may no longer be a one-man team, but they know where to go with the ball when the game is on the line.
Kobe Bryant's 17-foot jumper as time expired in overtime gave the Lakers a 99-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns Sunday and a 3-1 lead in the first round playoff series.
The Lakers, who have won the last three games, can win the best-of-seven series Tuesday night in Phoenix.
A sixth game, if necessary, would be played Thursday night at Staples Center.
The Suns appeared to have the game won late in the fourth quarter and again in overtime, but the Lakers took advantage of two critical mistakes by Phoenix's Steve Nash.
Nash made a 3-pointer with 50 seconds left in overtime to give the Suns a 98-95 lead. Bryant's layup with 11.7 seconds to go drew the Lakers within one point, and Luke Walton tied up Nash with 6.1 seconds remaining.
Walton won the tip, with Bryant chasing the ball down near the scorer's table and then dribbling to the right corner of the key, where his ninth field goal in 14 tries swished through cleanly.
The Lakers then mobbed Bryant, who has become more of a facilitator than a scorer during this series, with his output dropping more than 12 points from his 35.4-point average during the regular season.
Points leader
Lamar Odom led the Lakers with 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Bryant had 24 points and eight assists, Kwame Brown added 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Devean George scored 11.
Nash led the Suns with 22 points and 11 assists, but scored only six after halftime.
Boris Diaw had 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, Shawn Marion had 20 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out with 2:37 left in the fourth quarter, and Tim Thomas scored 12 points.
Bulls 93, Heat 87
CHICAGO -- Kirk Hinrich scored 21 points and hit a key 3-pointer with 1:09 remaining to lead Chicago over Miami, evening their first-round series at 2-2.
With Shaquille O'Neal in foul trouble for much of the game, the Bulls built a 13-point lead in the third quarter, only to fall behind in the fourth before pulling the game out. Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is Tuesday in Miami.
Andres Nocioni led the Bulls with 24 points, and Ben Gordon scored 23. Hinrich had nine assists.
Chicago's Tyson Chandler was carried off the court with an ankle injury with 26.3 seconds left.
Antoine Walker scored 21 for the Heat, and Dwyane Wade finished with 20 on 8-of-23 shooting.
But O'Neal had another rough game -- with 16 points, eight rebounds and four fouls.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.