Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol had their way Wednesday night with a depleted Golden State Warriors team, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 99-87 win at Oracle Arena in Oakland. The game wasn't really as close as the final score indicates, as the Lakers led by as many as 23 points in the fourth quarter.
Bynum scored 31 points and grabbed nine rebounds on the night and made 12 of his 14 field goals. Gasol turned in his fifth career triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. With the big men dominating, the Lakers had their pick of easy baskets all game long. The Lakers had 34 assists on 37 made field goals.
Metta World Peace nearly had a double-double of his own with 18 points and nine assists. Kobe Bryant missed the game, his seventh straight DNP with a shin injury, but he told ESPN's Ric Bucher at halftime that he plans to play on Friday night in San Antonio.
Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 17 points.
The Lakers (40-23) hold a half-game lead over the Los Angeles Clippers for the Pacific Division crown, and hold the tiebreaker over their crosstown rivals. Any combination of Lakers wins and Clippers losses totaling three will give the Lakers the division and No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
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