Kobe scored 27 points and snagged nine rebounds as Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

It took a while for Kobe to heat up, two and a half quarters to be exact, but by the end of the game Kobe still put together another amazing performance. His MVP play powered the Los Angeles to a comeback 89-85 win over San Antonio in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

In the first half Kobe focused on creating opportunities for his teammates, taking only three shots and scoring a total of two points. But in the third quarter, when San Antonio led by as much as 20 points, Kobe rallied his team and scored 25 points in the second half. He led his team with 27 points including the game-winning shot with 24 seconds remaining.

Los Angeles’ explosive second half performance may have been led by Kobe, but was a team effort.

“It was crazy. We were down 20 in the third and we ended up winning the 3rd quarter, by a point. Especially to do that against the San Antonio, that’s impressive and I think it says a lot about the guys and we had people struggling in the field tonight and then we had other people coming to step up and that’s what’s made us tough all year,” said Luke Walton.

Los Angeles also got help from Pau Gasol who contributed 19 points and seven rebounds, while San Antonio was led by Tony Parker’s double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.