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Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press
Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) drives past Los Angeles Lakers' Kyle Kuzma (0), Larry Nance Jr. (7) and Brandon Ingram, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
lessGolden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) drives past Los Angeles Lakers' Kyle Kuzma (0), Larry Nance Jr. (7) and Brandon Ingram, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 22,
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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball (2) vie for a rebound during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
lessGolden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball (2) vie for a rebound during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball (2) drives against Golden State Warriors guard Patrick McCaw (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
lessLos Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball (2) drives against Golden State Warriors guard Patrick McCaw (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio
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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant points after scoring against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
lessGolden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant points after scoring against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose
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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green yells after scoring against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
lessGolden State Warriors forward Draymond Green yells after scoring against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose
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Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle dunks past Golden State Warriors guard Nick Young during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
lessLos Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle dunks past Golden State Warriors guard Nick Young during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose
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Golden State Warriors forward David West (3) looks past Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
lessGolden State Warriors forward David West (3) looks past Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose
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Jordan Bell impresses as Warriors hold off Lakers
Moments after the final buzzer sounded on the Warriors’ 113-106 win Friday night over the Lakers, Jordan Bell found Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma near midcourt.
After dapping Ball, Bell embraced Kuzma, trading well-wishes. In a game showcasing the futures of both organizations, Bell had outdueled both of those Lakers rookies to help push Golden State’s winning streak to 11 games.
Bell reinforced why many consider him a second-round steal with the best performance of his young career. In 25 minutes, he scored a career-high 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting to go with his career-high 10 rebounds.
It was his two-handed dunk with less than two minutes left that helped seal the victory. To escape with the win, the Warriors needed to weather memorable outings from Kuzma (27 points, 14 rebounds) and Ball (24 points, 5-for-6 shooting from three-point range).
These two teams are on opposite ends of the NBA hierarchy: Golden State is chasing its third NBA title in four years; the Lakers are mired in a lengthy rebuild. However, records hardly seem to matter when the Warriors face Los Angeles. Golden State has lost to the Lakers by double digits at least once each of the past three seasons.
The Warriors’ only two overtime games this year have come against Los Angeles. Two nights after stealing a win at league-leading Houston, Los Angeles was at it again, storming back from a 23-point, third-quarter deficit to seize its first lead of the game midway through the fourth.
A 6-0 Golden State spurt helped create necessary distance. With less than two minutes left, Draymond Green corralled the rebound, looked up-court and hit Klay Thompson under the basket for the layup to give the Warriors a 105-97 lead.
Kevin Durant continued to show how fortunate Golden State is to have another MVP to shoulder the load in Stephen Curry’s absence. In 37 minutes, he had 33 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Green returned Friday after missing five of six games, including Golden State’s previous four, with a sore right shoulder. The feel-good development came with perhaps only one concern for Warriors fans: With Green back in the lineup, would Bell’s playing time dip?
Little more than a third of the way through his rookie season, Bell has done enough to command a regular rotation spot. Seldom does he not deliver some sort of highlight within his first couple of minutes on the floor. Free to run the floor and throw down dunks, Bell entered Friday shooting 72.6 percent from the floor.
With Zaza Pachulia still sidelined by a sore left shoulder, head coach Steve Kerr started Bell at center alongside Green, his mentor. Bell’s energy set an aggressive tone.
Late in the second quarter, he nabbed a steal, drove down court and hammered home the dunk. It wasn’t long before, after a missed three-pointer by Durant, Bell deflected the rebound to keep the play alive, ultimately freeing up Thompson to hit a three-pointer.
Midway through the third quarter, Bell caught a pass at the top of the key, sliced through the lane and powered through contact for the layup. Bell had posted career-highs in points (16) and (rebounds) by the end of the period.
The problem for the Warriors is that the Lakers have not one, but two rookie sensations. Ball drained three three-pointers in the first quarter. His team down 61-44 at halftime, Kuzma poured in 12 of his points in a third period in which Los Angeles outscored Golden State 28-23.
Early in the fourth quarter, after Kuzma converted a layup to put the Lakers within 86-81, a not-so-familiar chant “KUUUZ! KUUUZ!” emanated from a capacity Oracle Arena crowd of 19,596. Less than two minutes later, forward Julius Randle hit a three-pointer to put Los Angeles up 89-88.
Such a chorus would soon be forgotten on a night Bell’s team prevailed.
Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @Con_Chron
