WASHINGTON – Gilbert Arenas scored 34 points and keyed a second-half comeback to lead the Washington Wizards over the Los Angeles Lakers 94-91 Monday night for their third straight victory.

The Wizards ended the third quarter on a 21-3 run to take a 72-66 lead after trailing by nine at halftime and by as much as 16 in the second quarter. Arenas scored 10 points during the decisive run.

The Lakers trailed by three points with 16 seconds left and got the ball back after Washington turned it over on a late whistle against Arenas for traveling. But the Wizards double-teamed Kobe Bryant, who turned it over, and the Wizards ran out the clock for the victory.

The Wizards led throughout the fourth, though never by more than eight, and Bryant twice hit 3-pointers late in the period to bring the Lakers within three.

Washington’s second-half surge came after it shot just 15-of-45 from the field in the first half. Besides Arenas’ 7-for-14 half, the rest of the team made only 8-of-31.

Antawn Jamison added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Wizards.

Bryant finished with 31 points after missing his first six shots. He scored 20 in the first half but was only 4-of-11 in the second half.

Smush Parker added 16 points for the Lakers, who were only 14-of-38 in the second half.

Kwame Brown, the Wizards’ No. 1 overall pick in 2001, returned to Washington for the first time since being traded to the Lakers. Heavily booed by the sellout crowd when he entered the game late in the first quarter, Brown finished with five points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes.

The Lakers had a two-point lead when Brown entered the game and a 14-point cushion when he left eight minutes later.

Notes: Lakers coach Phil Jackson said before the game that he believes Bryant deserved better treatment than he received from Miami fans during the Lakers’ Christmas Day loss to the Heat. “I was disappointed in Miami people last night. He played a great game … I think that was poor sportsmanship.”

AP-ES-12-26-05 2152EST