HOUSTON, (Reuters) – Kobe Bryant scored 41 points to  guide the Los Angeles Lakers to a 103-102 overtime victory over  the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

Andrew Bynum made three successive free throws for the NBA  champion Lakers (4-1) in the extra session, including one that  broke a 102-102 tie with 24 seconds remaining. “We have experience in winning games and toughing it out,”  Los Angeles forward Lamar Odom told reporters. “Kobe did a great job of taking over the game offensively  and Bynum dominated the game with his rebounding.”

Bynum finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds while the  Rockets had six players in double figures, Carl Landry leading  the home team with 20.

Former Rockets’ forward Ron Artest scored a three-pointer  that put the Lakers up 92-89 with 30 seconds remaining before  Houston’s Trevor Ariza, who helped the Lakers to last season’s  NBA title, answered with his own three-pointer to force  overtime.  “It was poetic justice that both (players) had a chance to  make big shots,” said Lakers coach Phil Jackson. “I thought we  had the game in hand (with Artest’s shot). It was a great  game.” Bryant, the MVP of last season’s NBA Finals, made 15-of-30  shots from the field in his 98th career 40-point effort. The Lakers trailed by seven early in the fourth before  Bryant made 10 points in a row for his team. In overtime he  twice put the Lakers ahead with jump shots and tallied six  points in the extra session. Houston’s (3-2) Ariza had 15 points and nine rebounds while  Chuck Hayes had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Luis Scola finished  with 16 and 13.