Andrew Bynum scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds in the first half of his first game of the season, as the Los Angeles Lakers lead the Denver Nuggets 46-45 at halftime on Saturday afternoon at Staples Center. The Lakers are in search of their third straight win.
With Bynum's return, the Lakers made a concerted effort to get the ball into the post in the opening 24 minutes. Pau Gasol scored 11 points and had three rebounds himself, and he and Bynum combined to make 10 of 14 field goal attempts in the first half.
Kobe Bryant, who led the Lakers in scoring in each of the first four games of the season, didn't score Saturday until 3:40 remaining in the second quarter. But Kobe scored on three consecutive possessions to give the Lakers the lead, and ended the half with eight points. Bryant needs 13 points to reach 28,000 in his career.
Nene Hilario and Andre Miller each scored nine points to lead the Nuggets. Ty Lawson, who averaged 21.0 points per game to lead the Nuggets through the first three games of the season, scored two points and had four assists in the first half.
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