Updated

Kobe Bryant fueled a desperate rally with 23 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Orleans Hornets 104-96 on Tuesday night to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Pau Gasol had 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Dwight Howard added 19 points to help the Lakers tie Utah for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff berth. The Jazz lost to Oklahoma City 90-80 earlier in the evening, but they hold the tiebreaker over the Lakers, who have four regular-season games left.

Eric Gordon scored 22 points, making 10 of 11 free throws, before fouling out in the final seconds to lead five Hornets in double figures. Anthony Davis added 18 points and 14 rebounds, Ryan Anderson had 14 points, and Greivis Vasquez had 11 points and 11 assists.

Metta World Peace returned for the Lakers less than two weeks after undergoing left knee surgery and had four points in 15 minutes as they won their third in a row at home.

Bryant put on his usual show in the fourth quarter that began with the teams tied at 70-all. He scored the Lakers' first seven points for a 77-70 lead, drawing chants of "Kobe! Kobe!"

The Hornets ran off six in a row to take an 82-80 lead. Bryant answered with two straight jumpers before Davis' basket tied the game for the last time at 84-all.

From there, the Hornets were outscored 20-12.

Antawn Jamison, who finished with 13 points, scored five in a row for an 89-84 lead. But Bryant kept the Lakers going with another five straight, including a steal of Gordon that he capped with a fastbreak driving finger roll.

The Hornets led by six early in a back-and-forth third that ended in a 70-all tie. Gasol scored six straight points to pull the Lakers into the first tie of the quarter. Davis picked up his fourth foul for the Hornets, and Howard got called for his fourth late in the third.

Jamison and Bryant hit back-to-back 3-pointers for the Lakers only to have Brian Roberts tie it up on a running finger roll.

The Lakers led by 10 points in the second quarter when the Hornets closed on a 17-2 run, including 14 in a row, to lead 50-45 at the break. Gordon scored 13 of their points, including the first six.

NOTES: Lakers F Earl Clark was in a car accident after morning shootaround, but he wasn't hurt and didn't want to discuss it before the game. ... The Lakers have swept the last three season series with the Hornets, and have won the last five season series overall. ... The Lakers play at Portland on Wednesday. They are 5-10 in the second game of back-to-backs this season, and have yet to go 2-0 in a set of back-to-backs. ... The Hornets are 1-3 on their five-game Western trip that ends on Wednesday at Sacramento. ... Lakers G Steve Nash missed his fourth straight game with a hamstring injury. ... Former Laker Gary Payton, who made the basketball Hall of Fame this week, attended the game.