LOS ANGELES (AP) — A sprained ankle is a minor impediment to Kobe Bryant at this point in his playoff career. Emeka Okafor is a much larger obstacle.

Bryant overcame them both on a dunk that propelled the Los Angeles Lakers to a wave of momentum toward the second round.

Bryant scored 19 points on a sprained left ankle, throwing down two impressive jams that led the Lakers past the New Orleans Hornets 106-90 in Game 5 on Tuesday night and to a 3-2 series lead.

Bryant’s second-quarter dunk on Okafor could turn out to be the Lakers’ signature moment of a taxing first-round series that began with a stunning Game 1 loss. That’s exactly what Bryant was trying to achieve when he picked up his dribble with two hands and threw down a right-handed slam right in Okafor’s mug.

“I just had a lane to the basket,” Bryant said. “It looked like he was going to challenge me at the rim, and I decided to accept the challenge. … It’s a message for us that this was important. It’s time to raise up and do what we’ve got to do. They’re not saved dunks. I don’t have much of those left.”

Bryant left New Orleans on crutches two days earlier after getting hurt late in Game 4, but he refused an MRI exam or extensive treatment when he got home. Postseason injuries are nothing new for the two-time NBA finals MVP, who has persevered through a slew of them during 67 playoff games in the previous three years.

“That’s what he does,” said Monty Williams, the Hornets’ frustrated coach. “All this talk about his ankle. Did it look like his ankle was hurting? OK then.”

Trevor Ariza scored 22 points, Marco Belinelli added 21, and Chris Paul had 20 points and 12 assists for the seventh-seeded Hornets, who have lost three of four since their series-opening victory. Ariza hit five 3-pointers, but managed just six points in the second half as the Lakers took control of the game and perhaps the series.