Hawks 96, Lakers 92
Devin Harris scored 17 points and Al Horford had 14 points and 14 rebounds as host Atlanta held off Los Angeles.
Kyle Korver scored 15 points and hit two clinching free throws with 2.6 seconds left as Atlanta won for the second time in eight games. The Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak despite missing forward Josh Smith with a left knee injury.
Kobe Bryant scored 31 points, Metta World Peace added 20 and Dwight Howard grabbed 16 rebounds for the Lakers, who had a four-game winning streak halted. Bryant missed a tying field-goal attempt with 3.9 seconds left and suffered a sprained ankle on the play that could cause him to miss some upcoming games prior to Korver’s final two free throws.
Atlanta had a 55-43 halftime lead before Bryant exploded for 20 points in the third quarter. The Hawks still had a 12-point edge just past the midway point of the third quarter before Bryant scored the final 11 points of a 13-2 surge to pull Los Angeles within one.
The Lakers had an 83-82 edge after Bryant’s 3-pointer with 7:08 to play. Harris responded with three consecutive baskets to give the Hawks a five-point edge and Atlanta never trailed again.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Korver had made 23 straight free throws before missing the first of two with 16.9 seconds left. … Lakers forward Earl Clark played 13 minutes before leaving with an ankle injury. … Hawks PG Jeff Teague sat out after injuring his left ankle in Tuesday’s loss to Miami.