Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Kobe Bryant finished with 24 points and six assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 118-108 win over the Sacramento Kings at the Staples Center.
Eight Lakers players finished in double-figures, including Andrew Bynum, who scored 15 points and brought down 10 rebounds. Pau Gasol added 16 points, and Lamar Odom had 14 off the bench for Los Angeles, which has won four in a row and moved to 11-1 this season.
John Salmons had 24 points to pace the Kings, who have lost five of six. Bobby Brown contributed 21 points and seven assists in the loss for Sacramento, which shot 53.4 percent from the floor, but only got to the foul line 13 times, making 10 shots.
The Lakers, on the other hand, made 51.7 percent of its field goals but shot 20-of-28 from the free throw line.
The Lakers held a nine-point lead at halftime, but the Kings opened the third quarter with a Jason Thompson three-point play and a Salmons layup to get within four points. The Lakers held onto the lead until a burst of 12 points opened up the game.
Gasol started it with a three-point play, and Jordan Farmar ended it with a free throw for an 88-71 Lakers lead, and they went into the fourth ahead 96-80.
Still, Sacramento battled and, near the middle of the final quarter, scored seven straight points. Bobby Jackson had the final five, the last coming on a three-point play to get the Kings within 105-101 with 6:16 left.
But Odom followed with a layup, Bryant made two free throws, Gasol tipped in a shot and Trevor Ariza had a layup with 3:05 left to give the Lakers a 113-101 lead. In the span between Jackson's three-point play and Ariza's layup, Sacramento missed five shots and lost the ball once. Moments later Ariza hit a free throw, and the Lakers held on for the win from there.
Los Angeles led 32-27 after the first quarter, but the Kings used a 9-0 run to take a 36-32 lead shortly into the second. The Lakers countered to go into halftime ahead 61-52.
