The Sacramento Kings squandered a 27-point lead but dug deep late for a 118-115 NBA victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Kobe Bryant's last game in the California capital.
Kings guard Rajon Rondo made a running basket to put Sacramento up by one with 21 seconds left and then forced a Lakers turnover as a contest that looked like a certain blowout came down to the wire.
Sacramento centre DeMarcus Cousins then made two free throws and Lakers guard Louis Williams missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.
Bryant, the Lakers superstar who will retire at the end of this season, scored 28 points in his 34th and final regular season appearance in Sacramento.
Bryant returned from a three-game absence nursing a sore shoulder and scored 28 points – including a highlight-reel two-handed dunk that Lakers coach Byron Scott called a "young man moment."
Bryant, who led the Lakers to three playoff series victories over the Kings, made 10 of 18 shots from the field and six of eight free throws, and became the third player in NBA history – and at 37 the youngest ever – to score 33 000 points in his career.
He took his tally to 33 010, but was on the bench for the night by the time the Lakers charged back into contention.
Rookie D'Angelo Russell scored 11 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter for Los Angeles.
Although the Lakers fell to 8-29 – the second-worst record in the league – Bryant said the heart his young teammates showed late was encouraging.
"They played so well, they worked really, really hard," Bryant said.
"It's important for them to figure out how to close those games out without me on the floor."
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