Bryant leads LA Lakers into final

Bryant produced a magnificent display to inspire his team

The LA Lakers booked their place in the NBA finals by beating San Antonio Spurs 100-92 in the fifth game to clinch the Western Conference series 4-1.

Kobe Bryant, the NBA's Most Valuable Player, inspired a stunning recovery as the Lakers came from 17 points behind to beat the defending champions.

The Lakers will meet the Boston Celtics or the Detroit Pistons in the final, with the Celtics 3-2 up in the series.

Bryant said: "This is a dream come true. It's an unbelievable feeling."

The All-star guard, who helped the Lakers win three consecutive NBA titles from 2000-02, paid tribute to his team-mates after their victory.

"It is such a blessing to share this with a group of guys, who are like brothers.

When his team couldn't score he just took over and made some crazy shots. He's the best player in the league Spurs forward Manu Ginobili on Kobe Bryant

"We knew we could play better and the first half was tough for us. They caught us off guard but we cut the deficit to a manageable game by half-time.

"Then we came out in the second half and put our foot on the gas.

"This is big, big stuff for us and we are all really proud of what we have accomplished. But now the real season starts."

Spurs forward Manu Ginobili said of Bryant: "He was unbelievable again. When his team couldn't score he just took over and made some crazy shots. He's the best player in the league."

Hollywood actors Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington and Cameron Diaz were among the crowd.