Basketball: Bryant batters 76ers

Kobe Bryant keyed a third-quarter surge to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to a 104-92 NBA victory over the Philadelphia 76ers yesterday.

After Maurice Evans started the Lakers' 17-6 scoring run with a free throw with five minutes left in the third quarter - giving Los Angeles a 66-60 lead - Bryant went to work, scoring 12 of his 35 points to help his team pull away.

Bryant capped the run with a three-pointer with 42 seconds left in the period to give the Lakers an 83-66 advantage. Smush Parker added 12 points and Luke Walton finished with 11 for the Lakers, who shot 48 per cent from the floor.