Lakers 103, Wizards 89
Kobe Bryant scored 24 points and Pau Gasol collected 16, nine rebounds and seven assists as the visiting Los Angeles Lakers cruised past the shorthanded Washington Wizards, 103-89, on Tuesday.
Lamar Odom added 18 points and 10 boards and Andrew Bynum scored seven points in 17 minutes in his first game of the season after recovering from offseason knee surgery for the Lakers, who have won five of six.
Los Angeles took control in the second quarter, opening the frame with a 19-4 run to turn a two-point deficit into a 41-28 lead midway through the period. Shannon Brown scored 12 points in the quarter to help the Lakers take a 57-46 advantage into the break.
The third quarter was more of the same, with Bryant taking over and scoring 12 points in a row for Los Angeles during one stretch. He had 16 points in the period, which ended with the Lakers holding a 92-70 lead.
The Wizards were without star rookie John Wall due to knee tendinitis and forward Andray Blatche, who has a bruised hip. Nick Young scored 21 points off the bench for Washington, which has dropped five in a row.