Magic number for Bryant is 50

The Lakers’ chances of victory looked good for a long time, and then became 50-50.

It wasn’t a bad thing for them.

Kobe Bryant became the third player since 1987 to score at least 50 points in consecutive games, leading the Lakers to a 109-102 victory Sunday over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Staples Center.

If his 65-point effort Friday against Portland was dramatic, his 50 on Sunday was draining, the Lakers almost losing a 19-point fourth-quarter lead until Bryant bailed them out with a three-point play and a series of free throws in the last three minutes.

He came out firing, taking 19 shots by halftime, and eventually overtook Denver forward Carmelo Anthony as the NBA’s scoring leader. Bryant is averaging 30 points a game, Anthony 29.8.

Of greater importance, the Lakers (35-32) moved half a game ahead of Denver (33-31) for sixth place in the Western Conference.

Unlike the frenzied, festive atmosphere of Friday’s 116-111 overtime victory over Portland, Lakers fans were hushed as a large chunk of the lead dissipated in the final quarter.

Bryant’s dunk with 10.5 seconds left gave him 50 points, as well as a reason for fans to cheer ... if they weren’t exhaling.

“We ran out of gas in that game,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “I guess Kobe ran out of gas and they closed the gap. So I wasn’t happy with the team the way they finished it. Just didn’t defend well enough down in the fourth quarter.”

Bryant made 17 of 35 shots and joined Allen Iverson (Philadelphia, December 2004) and Antawn Jamison (Golden State, December 2000) as the only players to score 50-plus points in consecutive games since Michael Jordan did it three times in a row for Chicago in 1987.

“I think it’s at a point in the season where it’s important to stress the sense of urgency that we have, the type of energy and emotion that you have to play with,” Bryant said.

Was it urgency or an emergency in the fourth quarter? Tough to tell.

The Lakers led, 87-68, going into the quarter, but relaxed their defense and allowed the Timberwolves to climb within 95-92 on a Ricky Davis three-point basket with 2:55 to play.

Bryant had almost as many turnovers (three) as points (four) in the quarter before turning it on with a three-point play to reestablish a six-point lead with 2:28 to play. The Timberwolves never got closer.

It continued to be part of the recent pattern, Bryant’s carrying the team with his scoring. Perhaps it will continue. Perhaps it won’t.

“I have no idea,” Jackson said. “Don’t ask me those kinds of questions. I cannot be a seer. I think with Luke [Walton] and Lamar [Odom] back in the lineup, we have more offensive firepower.”

Three Lakers were close to triple-doubles.

Walton, back in the lineup after sitting out Friday’s game because his sore ankle flared up, had 10 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. Odom, playing his third game with a torn labrum in his left shoulder, had 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Smush Parker had one of his strongest all-around games this season, totaling 19 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

With their second consecutive victory and a soft schedule the rest of the way, the Lakers appeared on the verge of something. Or maybe not ...

“I’m not ready to turn the corner yet,” Jackson said. “Maybe we did a U-turn, no turning the corner. I don’t think we’re out of the woods at all. We have conditioning, which is still an issue with some players, and, as I’ve mentioned, our defensive effort needs to come through.”

Bryant had 14 points in the first quarter, 22 by halftime and hit a three-point shot with two-tenths of a second left in the third quarter to give the Lakers their largest lead.

He hurried some shots in the first half, which caught the eye of his coach, although Jackson was on board with Bryant’s score-first mantra, with certain exceptions.

“I have no problem with it at all,” Jackson said. “He took almost half the shots in the first half that the team took. If they are good shots -- and Kobe’s shots weren’t all good in the first half -- then it’s different.”

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com