Gasol, Bryant lead way as Lakers cruise by Raptors

LOS ANGELES — Pau Gasol had 24 points and nine rebounds, Kobe Bryant had 23 points and seven assists before sitting out the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 112-99 on Sunday night to improve their league-best record to 14-1.

Bryant came 15 points shy of reaching the 22,000-point mark faster than any other player. Had he done it, he would have beaten Wilt Chamberlain to that total by one day, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Bryant was the fastest to 12,000 and every level up to 20,000. The two-time scoring champion and 10-time All-Star was the second-fastest to 21,000.

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Lakers breeze to 12-1 with 120-93 romp over Nets

LOS ANGELES(AP) Pau Gasol had 26 points and eight rebounds before sitting out the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame a poor shooting performance by Kobe Bryant to rout the New Jersey Nets 120-93 on Tuesday night and improve the NBA’s best record to 12-1.

Bryant had difficulty most of the game with Vince Carter’s defense, going 5-for-17 from the field in 28 minutes and finishing with 12 points in the Lakers’ fifth straight victory. He shot 1-for-9 in the first half and didn’t get to the free-throw line until 1:11 remained in the second quarter.

The reigning MVP and two-time scoring champion had a similar game at New Jersey on Feb. 5, scoring a season-low six points on 3-for-13 shooting with no free-throw attempts.

Devin Harris had 21 points and six assists for the Nets, who again played without Stromile Swift (back), Josh Boone (bruised left ankle) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (right knee strain). Eduardo Najera, who has an injured back, did not make the trip.

Yi Jianlian had 13 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, who shot only 34.5 percent and were 3-for-19 in the fourth quarter while getting outscored 30-17. Carter scored 14 points before sitting out the final 6:51. Rookie center Brook Lopez made four of his first five shots, but went 2-for-10 the rest of the way and finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Big man Andrew Bynum picked up his fourth foul midway through the third quarter with the Lakers ahead 70-66, but his teammates responded with an 11-4 spurt and took a 90-76 lead into the fourth. The second unit opened the period with a 15-2 run, including 3-pointers by Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar and Lamar Odom and capped it on an 18-footer by Trevor Ariza that gave Los Angeles a 105-78 cushion with 8:19 left.

The Nets missed their first eight shots of the fourth before ending the drought on a 20-footer by Trenton Hassell with 5:24 remaining. By then, the Lakers led 113-88.

Gasol, who had 24 points and 12 rebounds against the Nets last February in his Lakers debut following his acquisition from the Memphis Grizzlies, paced Los Angeles to a 56-54 halftime lead with 16 points.

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Lakers outlast Kings 118-108 to go 11-1

LOS ANGELES(AP) Kobe Bryant scored 24 points, Andrew Bynum had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers improved the NBA’s best record to 11-1 with a 118-108 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.

All five Lakers starters reached double figures in points by the third quarter, and eight players finished with 10 or more as the defending Western Conference champions won for the fourth straight time since losing to Detroit at home.

Vladimir Radmanovic, wearing red tinted goggles after getting poked in his right eye during Friday night’s win against Denver, made his first two attempts from 3-point range and finished with 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting.

John Salmons led Sacramento with 24 points and reserve Bobby Brown added 21. Kevin Martin was sidelined for the eighth consecutive game with a sprained left ankle and Mikki Moore missed his fourth straight because of a sprained right ankle.

The Kings, who have lost five of six, used a starting lineup that included rookies Donte Greene and Jason Thompson, who has started every game since Martin’s injury and scored 15 points against the Lakers.

Trailing by as many as 19 points after Bynum’s three-point play to open the fourth quarter, Sacramento went on a 21-6 run that narrowed the gap to 105-101 with 6:17 to play. Bobby Jackson helped fuel the rally with 10 points, including a three-point play that capped the rally.

Bryant, Gasol and point guard Derek Fisher returned to the game following the ensuing timeout, and the Kings got no closer. The Lakers scored the next nine points.

Kings center Brad Miller, who missed the first five games of the season because of a suspension for violating the league’s drug program, escaped a flagrant foul with 3:24 in the second quarter and Los Angeles leading 50-46. Lakers reserve forward Trevor Ariza drove to the basket past the Kings’ 7-foot center, who wrapped his arm around Ariza’s throat while he was in the air - sending him crashing to the floor.

Referee Eddie F. Rush didn’t agree with the sellout crowd of 18,997, who were still booing while Ariza made one of two free throws.

All nine players coach Phil Jackson used in the first quarter scored. Sasha Vujacic got his first points on a buzzer-beating pull-up 3-pointer from the top of the arc for a 32-27 lead.

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Nuggets no match for Lakers

Gasol scores 24 of his 34 points in first half as Lakers rebound from 1st loss

PHOENIX (AP)– Kobe Bryant scored 24 points and Vladimir Radmanovic made all five of his 3-pointers to lead the Los Angeles Lakers past the Phoenix Suns, 105-92 on Thursday night.

Bryant shot only 8-of-23, but the Lakers overwhelmed Phoenix with their depth. Six players reached double figures as Los Angeles improved its record to a league-best 9-1.

Radmanovic scored 15, Lamar Odom 13, Jordan Farmar 11, and Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza 10 apiece for Los Angeles. Amare Stoudemire scored 21 for Phoenix on 9-for-21 shooting.

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Pau Gasol scored 24 of his season-high 34 points in the first half, and the Lakers rebounded from their first setback of the season with a 116-109 victory over the Bulls on Tuesday night. His previous season high was 22 points.

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