The Lakers were on their way to losing their 3rd consecutive game but they scored twelve points in 45 seconds at Madison Square Garden, with Kobe Bryant and Chucky Atkins doing a collective impersonation of Reggie Miller sending the game into overtime.

They outscored the Knicks 39-24 in the 4th quarter, playing on a prayer, as well as the lackadaisical play of a New York team already penciling in their 3rd straight victory.

They began the overtime frame taking a quick lead, but squandered the lead with 12.1 seconds after a foul on Stephon Marbury by Chucky Atkins.

With the Lakers trailing 117-115, Kobe penetrated and dished it to Luke Walton who subsequently passed up an open shot and gave him the ball back under the basket, but Bryant fumbled it as he might have been fouled by Kurt Thomas and time expired as he slammed the ball to the floor of the Garden and yelled at Walton.

Bryant did lead the Lakers with 30 points, Odom had 26 of his own and Atkins had 22.

Tim Thomas scored 35 points, an unlikely scoring source for the Knicks.