Kobe has 100th 40-point game, Lakers avoid rare 3-game skid with 106-93 win over Pistons

Kobe gets 40 in Lakers’ 106-93 win over Pistons

LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant scored 40 points for the 100th time in his career, and the Los Angeles Lakers avoided a rare three-game losing streak with a 106-93 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.

Andrew Bynum had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, who took a 28-point lead before surviving Detroit’s impressive fourth-quarter rally to avoid their first three-game skid in nearly two years, following back-to-back losses to Denver and Houston.

Bryant didn’t appear to be slowed by his strained groin while scoring 27 points in the middle two quarters before reaching 40 on a 3-pointer with 19 seconds left. With four 40-point games already this season after getting just four all last year, Kobe trails only Wilt Chamberlain (271) and Michael Jordan (173) in 40-point games in NBA history.

Will Bynum scored 10 of his 24 points in the final period for the Pistons, who opened a four-game West Coast trip with their second straight loss. Detroit chopped the Lakers’ lead to 98-91 with 1:55 to play before former Michigan State guard Shannon Brown made three free throws and a soaring dunk to seal it.

Bryant led the Lakers in scoring for the 10th time in 11 games. Andrew Bynum also was steady again, delivering his eighth game with at least 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lakers still haven’t lost three straight games since Pau Gasol joined the club on Feb. 1, 2008, although Gasol again was out of the lineup with a hamstring injury. Gasol might try to play for the first time this season Thursday night against Chicago.

Luke Walton also will be out for six weeks with a pinched nerve in his back — but Detroit is even more seriously injury-depleted than the Lakers, with Richard Hamilton (sprained right ankle) and Tayshaun Prince (back injury) still out of the lineup.

Although Bryant is carrying a heavy scoring load for the Lakers early in the season, the former MVP was revitalized by his first extended time off in several years following Los Angeles’ title. He also worked on his low-post game during his summer off, and the results have been obvious in the season’s opening weeks.

Bryant frequently took Ben Gordon and other Detroit defenders into the low post, where he either used the moves he learned from Hakeem Olajuwon this summer, or adroitly passed out of double teams to set up open jumpers. Bryant also played with a noticeable edge, jawing with several Pistons before and after scoring on them.

Bryant scored 13 points in the second quarter, making six of his seven shots while the Lakers went ahead 57-42 at halftime. He was 6 for 8 in the third, scoring 14 more points while Los Angeles gradually increased its lead to 24.

NOTES: Former Lakers big man Kwame Brown was roundly booed when he entered the game for Detroit. The former No. 1 overall pick had nine points in 27 minutes. … The Lakers honored Los Angeles Sparks star Lisa Leslie at halftime. Leslie retired earlier this year. … Oliver Platt, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and baseball great Dave Winfield were among the courtside celebrities.