Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Feasting on one of the worst teams in the conference, the Los Angeles Lakers snapped their worst losing streak in three years. Kobe Bryant scored a game-high 22 points and Lamar Odom and Paul Gasol both finished with 16 points as Los Angeles easily handled Sacramento 113-80 at the Staples Center to snap a four-game slide.
"I wasn't a good time for us to catch the world champs at home," said Kings head coach Paul Westphal. "They needed a win and they took it to us. It got out of hand pretty quickly and there was no coming back for us tonight." The Lakers got 14 points from Shannon Brown and 11 from Steve Blake, both in reserve roles. Jason Thompson scored 19 and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Kings, who have dropped six straight.
Tyreke Evans added 15 points in the loss and Pooh Jeter scored 11, all in the fourth quarter. "We had a good defensive game going for us and everything fell into place," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "With 68 points in the paint we had good penetration tonight." The Lakers made 10-of-21 from the field en route to a 21-16 advantage after the first quarter.
Bryant scored 10 in the second and Los Angeles was able to extend its lead to as many as 18 midway through the quarter. The Lakers carried a 52-35 lead into the locker room. The Los Angeles lead hit 20 with a Gasol jump-shot at 9:45 of the third. The Lakers made the next seven shots they attempted, as well as two free throws from Gasol, to take a 72-42 lead at the 5:02 mark.
Their lead never dropped below 25 for the rest of the third and they used a Steve Blake three-pointer and Derrick Caracter layup to keep their lead at 30. 82-52, entering the fourth. The Lakers' lead reached as high as 35 in the fourth quarter and never dropped below 27.
The Lakers' four-game losing streak entering Friday was their worst slump since April 8-13 2007...LA won its first game with Sacramento this season 112-100...The winning team has scored over 100 points in 34 of the last 35 meetings...Sacramento only eclipsed the 100-point mark once in its last 12 games...The Kings have lost eight straight against the Lakers, six straight at the Staples Center.
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