BEIJING, April 28 -- Two games into the playoffs, Kobe Bryant is as much a leader as he is a scorer. And he has the Los Angeles Lakers tied in their first-round series with the Phoenix Suns.

    Bryant had 29 points and 10 rebounds, Lamar Odom scored 21 and the Lakers held off a late rally to beat the cold-shooting Suns 99-93 Wednesday night.

    "Kobe was leading us perfect tonight," the Lakers' Kwame Brown said. "Everybody expects him to come out and score 40 because it's the playoffs, but he did what a leader and general should do."

    Game 3 is in Los Angeles on Friday night.

    Pistons 109, Bucks 98

    At Auburn Hills, Mich., Tayshaun Prince scored 22 points and Chauncey Billups had 20 as Detroit snapped a streak of three straight losses in Game 2. Game 3 is Saturday night in Milwaukee.

    Bucks star Michael Redd bounced back from an 11-point game with 29, but didn¡¯t get much help.

    Richard Hamilton, who left Game 1 with a sprained left ankle, had 18 points and eight assists in 33 minutes for the Pistons.

    Mavericks 94, Grizzlies 79

    At Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 points to beat Memphis, which has never won a postseason game.

    The Grizzlies went 16 straight possessions without a point and 10:47 between baskets over the middle two quarters, taking them out of what had been a close game.

    The Grizzlies will head home for Game 3 Saturday.

    (Source: Shenzhen Daily/Agencies)