Friday night’s game between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers was “money well spent”, so to speak; you had two marquee players in Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant validating their superstardom for 42 minutes each. Oh, there was a game to be played, too. And it was most definitely a close game for the most part as the biggest lead held was only nine; with 3.2 seconds left, Bryant, instead of going for the tie, slipped behind the arc and drained a three-pointer at the buzzer, lifting Los Angeles past Miami 108-107 at Staples Center.

The first quarter was tightly played as the largest lead was four, courtesy of a Jamaal Magliore free throw, putting Miami up 23-19 with 56 seconds left in the period; they would go into the second quarter ahead 23-21. The second period mirrored the first as the largest lead was six for the Lakers via an Andrew Bynum jump shot with 3:46 remaining in the half; the Heat chipped away, before Bryant’s jumper at the horn gave Los Angeles a 51-48 edge going into halftime.

With 5:20 left in the third quarter, Bynum hit a jumper, giving the Lakers an eight-point advantage at 70-62, but the Heat would retake the lead at 74-72 on a pair of Wade free throws. Pau Gasol made a pair of free throws of his own with 20 seconds left in the frame, tying the game at 76-all entering the final quarter. Bryant gave Los Angeles its largest lead at nine on a jumper with 6:24 remaining in the game; Miami would tie the game at 93-all on a Udonis Haslem tip-in of a Wade miss. The Heat would go up by four with 9 seconds left by way of a pair of free throws by Wade; Wade would make one of two free throws with 3.2 ticks left on the game clock, The ball was inbounded to Bryant and he would slip behind the three-point line and bank home the game-winner at the horn, allowing Los Angeles to escape with the victory.

Bryant led all Lakers scorers with 33 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals while Gasol added 22 with 8 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and a block; Bynum poured in 19 with 8 rebounds, 2 assists and a block. Six Heat players scored in double-digits, led by Wade with 26 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 blocks while Jermaine O’Neal chipped in 16 with 10 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and a block. Los Angeles (15-3) plays again on Sunday night when they continue their home stand, hosting Pacific Division rivals Phoenix Suns while Miami (10-9) flies north to Sacramento to take on the Kings – also on Sunday.