The Los Angeles Lakers took a 3-1 lead the NBA finals Thursday, rallying to beat the Orlando Magic 99-91 in overtime to move within one win of a 15th championship.

Derek Fisher hit the tying three-pointer with 4.6 seconds left in regulation, then made the go-ahead three with 31 seconds to go in extra time as the Lakers won their second overtime game of the series.

Overtime finals

It was the first time since 1984, when Magic Johnson's Lakers and Larry Bird's Celtics hooked up, that two games in a finals have gone to overtime.

Kobe Bryant had 32 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Lakers, who can wrap it up tomorrow in Game Five in Orlando.

Trevor Ariza and Pau Gasol each had 16 points for Los Angeles, which came back from a 12-point half-time deficit. Ariza had 13 of the Lakers' 30 points in the third quarter.

The Lakers are 7-0 following a loss in this post-season.

Unless they can force a Game Six, the Magic will remember this as another finals game that got away.

Dwight Howard was magnificent everywhere but at the free-throw line. Orlando's superman of a centre had 16 points, 21 rebounds and a finals-record nine blocks.

Without hesitating, Fisher dropped a three-pointer over Orlando's Jameer Nelson with 4.6 seconds left to tie it 87-87. The shot stunned the Magic's maniacal crowd, which was hoping the home team could win its second straight finals game after dropping its first six.

"I was just going to take over and kind of survey the situation but Nelson was giving me a lot of space and I like to step into those threes," Fisher said. "Even though I wasn't making them, I felt like I could do that. I felt good to help the team that way."

Fisher had missed his first five threes, but came up with one the little left-hander will cherish forever.