NEW ORLEANS — The standing room only crowd at the first professional sporting event in the city since Hurricane Katrina got everything except a happy ending.

Kobe Bryant prevented that.

Bryant scored 18 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Los Angeles Lakers over the New Orleans Hornets 113-107 on Wednesday night.

The game, the first of three in New Orleans this month, relieved Hornets owner George Shinn, who had worried his players would face an empty house. Instead, 17,744 jammed the newly restored New Orleans Arena, cheering loudly for the team they had not seen since last season.

Bryant said the sold-out crowd was a "testament to the character of this city."

"It was not a distraction," he said. "It was a special moment. It was a truly historical event. Hopefully we gave them a good show."

The Lakers were trailing 93-91 with 6 minutes left, then Bryant scored 13 straight Los Angeles points to put the Lakers up 104-101 with a minute remaining.

"I wasn't talking much. I was just really quiet, focusing on the task at hand," Bryant said. "Sometimes you've just got to lead by example."

The Hornets have been based in Oklahoma City since the Aug. 29 storm, attracting big crowds there and sparking worry in their old hometown that they would not return.

Terrel Gilson, 45, who wore a Hornets shirt to the game, spent much of the fourth quarter on her feet, yelling her heart out.

"I love every bit of it," she said. "It's important for them to see us rooting them on."

Her friend, Cheryl Richardson, 44, also in a Hornets shirt, said the team belonged back in New Orleans.

"Bring them home," Richardson said. "We want our team back. They're our basketball team."