LOS ANGELES – Kobe Bryant refused to let a second successive game slip through his fingers as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 99-96 in a cliffhanger on Friday to avoid going down 3-0 in their NBA playoff series.Bryant endured a 9-for-25 shooting night to score 36 points, including eight of his team’s final 10 points, helping the Lakers get the home win needed in the second-round West matchup.Kevin Durant tallied 31 points, but missed a long, potential game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds, while Russell Westbrook and James Harden each had 21 in the loss.The Lakers have less than 24 hours before they will be tested in Game Four back in Los Angeles Saturday. Bryant was asked how much energy he and the Lakers have left for Game Four.In the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers roared back from an early 14-point deficit to defeat the Boston Celtics 92-83 and tie their Eastern Conference semi-final series at 2-2.Andre Iguodala scored five consecutive points to break a 83-83 tie and Jodie Meeks finished off the visiting Celtics with four free throws in succession as Boston failed to score in the final 98 seconds.Iguodala and Evan Turner each had 16 points for Philadelphia, who travel to Boston for Game Five on Monday.