Lakers Vs. Cavaliers Final Score: Kobe Bryant Leads Los Angeles Past Cavs, 97-92

The Los Angeles Lakers hosted the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night. The end result was the fifth straight win for the Lakers, as they improved to a spectacular 8-1 at home, with a 9-4 overall record.

The Lakers took a 59-41 lead into halftime, including outscoring the Cavs 27-13 in the second quarter. Cleveland was able to regroup following halftime, outscoring the Lakers 29-23 in the third quarter and closing the gap by outscoring the home team 22-15 in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, the early deficit was far too much to overcome.

Kobe Bryant had another huge game, scoring 42 points. He was 15-for-31 from the floor and made eight of 10 free throws.

Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum both picked up double-doubles in the game. Gasol finished the game with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Bynum racked up 15 points and 11 rebounds.

For all news and information regarding the Los Angeles Lakers, please visit Silver Screen and Roll. For updates and perspective on the Cleveland Cavaliers, head on over to Fear the Sword.

Lakers Vs. Cavaliers Game Preview: Kobe Bryant Looks To Continue Scoring Tear

The Los Angeles Lakers look to continue a pair of winning streaks on Friday night as they host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Staples Center. The Lakers have won four straight games, and sit atop the Pacific Division at 8-4. They have also won their last seven home games, a streak they hope will continue Friday night.

Kobe Bryant has been on a scoring surge of late, and now leads the NBA in scoring with an average of 30.3 points per game. He has scored 88 total points in his last two games, putting up 40 in back-to-back games for the first time since November 2009. The last time Bryant scored 40 or more points in three consecutive games was in March 2007 when he turned the trick in five straight contests.

The last time the Cavaliers came to Los Angeles to play the Lakers, they nearly got doubled up. The Lakers beat the Cavs last January 11 by a score of 112-57, the fewest points allowed by the Lakers in the shot clock era and the third-largest margin of victory in franchise history. Cleveland was in the midst of a 26-game losing streak at the time, but would get their revenge by beating the Lakers one month later in Cleveland, 104-99.

Rookie point guard Kyrie Irving has excelled in his first 10 NBA games, averaging 16.6 points and 5.2 assists for Cleveland while shooting 47.0% from the field and 37.0% from three-point range. He scored 26 points in Phoenix Thursday night in a win over the Suns, his third straight game of 20 points or more.

Pau Gasol for the Lakers has a double-double in each of his last four games, averaging 15.0 points and 12.3 rebounds during that span.

For more Lakers news and information, be sure to read Silver Screen and Roll.

Martin Luther King Day Tickets: Clippers, Lakers Face Off On Saturday

The highlight of the long weekend will undoubtedly be the Clippers "hosting" the Lakers on Saturday.

Lakers Schedule 2012: Cavs, Clippers, And Mavs In L.A. For The Weekend

The Los Angeles Lakers have had a heavy schedule of games so far this season, one of four teams to play 12 games so far this season. Luckily for them, eight of the 12 have been home games, which has helped them to an 8-4 record and first place in the Pacific Division. This long holiday weekend continues that trend for the Lakers, with three games in Los Angeles in four days.

Friday: Cleveland Cavaliers (5-5) at Lakers: Byron Scott and Cleveland comes to town on the second night of a back-to-back set, having beaten Phoenix 101-90 on Thursday night. This is the sixth game of a seven-game road trip for the Cavs, who are 3-4 away from home this season.

Saturday: Lakers at Los Angeles Clippers (5-3): The first showdown at Staples Center that counts is a hot ticket in Los Angeles, as the Clippers are coming off the high of their overtime win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday. Clippers will have two days of rest while the Lakers will be on the second night of a back-to-back.

Monday: Dallas Mavericks (6-5) at Lakers: The NBA continues its tradition of a nearly full slate of games on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, with 11 games scheduled throughout Monday, ending with the Lakers facing the defending champs on TNT.

For more Lakers news and information, be sure to read Silver Screen and Roll.

Former Pepperdine Standout Mychel Thompson Returns To L.A. As A Cleveland Cavalier

The son of former Laker Mychal, Mychel Thompson made the Cleveland roster this year as a training camp invitee.