LOS ANGELES, Feb. 23 (Ticker) -- Struggling to find his shot in the final minutes, Kobe Bryant got a gift from Rashard Lewis.

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Bryant scored 41 points and Shaquille O'Neal added 27 and 17 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers held on for a 106-101 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics, who wasted a spectacular debut by Ray Allen.

Bryant was trying to reach the 40-point plateau for the ninth straight game, tying Michael Jordan for the third-longest streak in NBA history. But he was stuck on 39 points and missed his final six shots from the floor before he was fouled by Lewis while standing near the top of the key with 23 seconds left.

"The opposition was going to do everything in their power to stop me from getting it," Bryant said. "That's such a tough challenge to back down from. I have to apologize to my teammates. These five guys wanted to stop me from scoring a single basket. I'm willing to take my odds on that."

"I wasn't sure if Kobe was going to chase that 40 points so bad that he was going to cut our chances to win," Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson said. "It got a little bit tenuous."

Seattle was over the foul limit and Bryant buried both free throws to extend his remarkable run and give Los Angeles a 106-99 lead. He has reached 35 points in 12 consecutive games - the fourth-longest streak in league annals.

"He's taking all his shots and making most of them," O'Neal said. "He's putting together a good streak. As long as we keep winning like that, it's fine."

Hall of Famer and Lakers great Wilt Chamberlain holds both league records with 14 consecutive 40-point games and 33 straight 35-point performances.

Devean George scored 14 points off the bench as Los Angeles extended its winning streak to four games.

The Sonics pulled within five points twice in the opening nine minutes of the fourth quarter, but George responded with a 3-pointer both times. Allen made a runner with 39 seconds to go before Bryant sealed the outcome with his free throws.

Bryant made just 13-of-34 shots, including 1-of-6 from 3-point range, but sank 14-of-16 free throws. O'Neal was 9-of-16 from the floor and 9-of-12 at the line.

Bryant's performance overshadowed the Sonics' debut of Allen, who was acquired Thursday in a five-player trade.

"I was very nervous before the game," he said. "I didn't know what to expect. I'm like a rookie all over again. I'm excited with this team."

Allen had 26 points on 9-of-27 shooting, grabbed 13 rebounds and handed out nine assists.

"I wish someone had told me I needed one more assist," he joked. "I would have done everything to pass it."

"He is a very good player and he basically fit right into the rhythm tonight," Seattle coach Nate McMillan said. "He was able to do a lot of things for us."

Lewis finished with 28 points and Predrag Drobnjak added 16 as the Sonics lost for the seventh time in nine games.

Lewis scored 12 points in the first quarter, when Seattle made 12-of-21 shots. The Sonics had a 28-19 lead before Bryant buried a 3-pointer and O'Neal capped the period with a layup to bring the Lakers within 28-24.

Bryant scored 19 points in the second quarter as Los Angeles carried a 62-57 lead into halftime. The Lakers shot just 28 percent (7-of-25) in the third quarter but took the lead for good, 77-75, on a pair of free throws by O'Neal with 3:11 left.