Lakers outlast Kings 118-108 to go 11-1

LOS ANGELES(AP) Kobe Bryant scored 24 points, Andrew Bynum had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers improved the NBA's best record to 11-1 with a 118-108 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.

All five Lakers starters reached double figures in points by the third quarter, and eight players finished with 10 or more as the defending Western Conference champions won for the fourth straight time since losing to Detroit at home.

Vladimir Radmanovic, wearing red tinted goggles after getting poked in his right eye during Friday night's win against Denver, made his first two attempts from 3-point range and finished with 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting.

John Salmons led Sacramento with 24 points and reserve Bobby Brown added 21. Kevin Martin was sidelined for the eighth consecutive game with a sprained left ankle and Mikki Moore missed his fourth straight because of a sprained right ankle.

The Kings, who have lost five of six, used a starting lineup that included rookies Donte Greene and Jason Thompson, who has started every game since Martin's injury and scored 15 points against the Lakers.

Trailing by as many as 19 points after Bynum's three-point play to open the fourth quarter, Sacramento went on a 21-6 run that narrowed the gap to 105-101 with 6:17 to play. Bobby Jackson helped fuel the rally with 10 points, including a three-point play that capped the rally.

Bryant, Gasol and point guard Derek Fisher returned to the game following the ensuing timeout, and the Kings got no closer. The Lakers scored the next nine points.

Kings center Brad Miller, who missed the first five games of the season because of a suspension for violating the league's drug program, escaped a flagrant foul with 3:24 in the second quarter and Los Angeles leading 50-46. Lakers reserve forward Trevor Ariza drove to the basket past the Kings' 7-foot center, who wrapped his arm around Ariza's throat while he was in the air - sending him crashing to the floor.

Referee Eddie F. Rush didn't agree with the sellout crowd of 18,997, who were still booing while Ariza made one of two free throws.

All nine players coach Phil Jackson used in the first quarter scored. Sasha Vujacic got his first points on a buzzer-beating pull-up 3-pointer from the top of the arc for a 32-27 lead.

Notes: It was the first time this season that all five Lakers starters scored in double figures. ... Jackson's best start as an NBA coach with only one loss was in 1996-97 when the Chicago Bulls came out of the gate 17-1 and won the second of three straight NBA titles. The previous season, the Bulls finished 72-10. ... The Lakers won their final two meetings against Sacramento last season by 22 and 23 points, after the Kings beat them 114-113 at Staples Center. ... The Kings converted 18 Lakers turnovers into 30 points. ... Sacramento is 2-6 since Martin's injury. ... Despite their won-lost record, the Lakers have shot 50 percent or better from the field only three times in the first 12 games. They finished at 51.7 percent in this one. ... Sacramento is 0-7 when trailing after three quarters.

Lakers - Kings Preview

There have been no trade demands, fights with future Hall of Fame centers or public feuds with coaches for Kobe Bryant this season.

So far, it has been all business for the star and the Los Angeles Lakers, who host the struggling Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Los Angeles (10-1), off to its best start since winning its last title in 2001-02, opened a five-game homestand with a 104-90 victory Friday over Denver - its third straight win overall. The Lakers hit 14-of-21 from the field in the first quarter and led by as many as 27 points in the second as all five starters played less than 30 minutes.

"It's about taking care of business. That is how we push it,'' said Bryant, whose 2007 offseason and early season was marked by demanding Lakers owner Jerry Buss to trade him, a war of words with Phoenix Suns center and former teammate Shaquille O'Neal and cohesive struggles with coach Phil Jackson.

"It's a push against the clock. I think it shows the business attitude that we have, as well as depth. I wanted to do a little more service, especially in these sleeper games."

Bryant, who is logging five minutes less per game than last season, when he averaged 38.9 minutes, and the Lakers' starters have had plenty of time to rest in 2008-09. Los Angeles has the NBA's second-ranked scoring offense at 104.8 points per game, and the third-best scoring defense, allowing just 91.3 per game.

Pau Gasol - the Lakers' leader with 34.5 minutes per game - sat the fourth quarter against Denver after scoring 12 points and grabbing four rebounds. In four games with Los Angeles last season, Gasol averaged 24.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks against the Kings.

Andrew Bynum, who had his second double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds against the Nuggets, did not face the Kings last season due to a knee injury, but averaged 12.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in four games in 2006-07 while shooting 84.0 percent (21-for-25).

While Los Angeles looks to improve to 6-1 at Staples Center, Sacramento is coming off its fourth straight loss at Arco Arena.

The Kings were routed 117-96 by Portland on Friday, allowing the Trail Blazers to make 14-of-26 from 3-point range.

"When it rains it pours and that was definitely the case tonight,'' said center Spencer Hawes, who scored 15 points off the bench. "I don't know how many 3s were going in. And the ones that weren't were long rebounds it seemed like they were getting."

Sacramento (5-9), outrebounded 38-29 by Portland, has grabbed 4.8 fewer rebounds per game than its opponents in losing four of its last five. The Lakers, meanwhile, average 46.8 rebounds - third in the NBA.

Rookie Jason Thompson posted season highs with 19 points and 12 rebounds against Portland, while Brad Miller hit 7-of-9 shots and scored 16 points.

In 12 lifetime road games against the Lakers, Miller is averaging 8.8 points and 6.3 rebounds.

The Lakers have won four of the last six between the teams at Staples Center, with the victories by an average of 18.5 points.

The Lakers won their 2007-08 season series with Sacramento 3-1 for the second consecutive season. The two franchises have met 266 times overall and 101 times since the Kings moved to Sacramento. The Lakers lead the all-time series with the Kings 181-85 (72-29 vs. Sacramento). In their last 10 meetings, the Lakers are 7-3 against Sacramento. The Lakers are 11-7 all-time against the Kings at STAPLES Center but are just 5-5 in their last 10 contests. At ARCO Arena, the Lakers have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games but have won four straight in Sacramento. In their last visit to Sacramento on April 6, 2008, the Lakers defeated the Kings by 22 points, their largest victory in Sacramento since a 23-point win 3/23/89. Two seasons ago in 2006-07, the Lakers were whistled for 42 personal fouls in their 132-128 overtime victory January 4, 2007 at ARCO Arena, establishing a new Los Angeles era franchise record. The Lakers last committed 42 personal fouls back on 2/17/57 versus St. Louis when the team was still in Minneapolis. Additionally, the Lakers and Kings combined for 80 personal fouls and 102 free throws on the night, which was, at the time, the most fouls committed by two teams in more than seven years. Under head coach Phil Jackson, the Lakers are 20-12 against the Kings. In 43 career games against the Kings including 35 starts, Kobe Bryant is averaging 25.6 points. The Lakers and Kings haven’t met in the postseason since the 2002 Western Conference Finals. While Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher both played in that series, only Bobby Jackson remains on their roster from that season following an offseason trade that brought Jackson back to Sacramento.

LAKERS UPDATES

STRONG STARTS
At 10-1, the Lakers are off to their best start to a season through 11 games since 2001-02 when Los Angeles started the year 10-1 and ultimately extended their one-loss record to 16-1, the most wins ever accrued by the Lakers before their second loss. The Lakers best undefeated start to a season came in 1997-98 when they opened the year a franchise record 11-0 and ran their record to 12-1 before losing their second game. In all, the Lakers have been 10-1 through 11 games FIVE times - 2008-09: 10-1, 2001-02: 16-1, 1997-98: 12-1, 1989-90: 10-1, 1985-86: 11-1. Phil Jackson led teams have won at least nine games before their second loss on four occasions, twice with the Chicago Bulls and now twice with the Lakers – 2008-09: 9-1, 2001-02: 16-1, 1996-97: 17-1, 1995-96: 10-1. With their 95-106 loss to Detroit November 14, the Lakers suffered their first defeat of the 2008-09 season. The loss snapped a seven-game win streak that was the team’s longest to start a season since opening the 2001-02 season 7-0. Only twice in franchise history had the Lakers started the season with a better mark, going a franchisebest 11-0 to open the 1997-98 campaign and 8-0 to start the 1987-88 season. This was the second time under head coach Phil Jackson that the Lakers have opened the season 7-0 (2008-09, 2001-02). Only once has a Jackson-led team opened the season with a better record, with the 1996-97 Bulls going 12-0 to begin the season.

POINTS ABOUT POINTS
The Lakers are currently ranked 2nd in the NBA in points scored (140.8) and 3rd in the NBA in points allowed (91.3) through 11 games this season. Since the NBA went to a four-division format prior to the 1970-71 season and expanded to six divisions prior to the 2004-05 season, no team has ever led the league in scoring while also leading the league in fewest points allowed.
Since the Lakers moved to Los Angeles, they have led the NBA in scoring four times (1965-66, 1971-72, 1985-86, 1997-98) but have never led the NBA in fewest points allowed. Additionally, the Lakers are winning by an average margin of 13.5 points per game through 11 games this season. The next closest team in point differential to date is Cleveland at +7.7 points per game. While still early in the season, it may be worth noting that the franchise record for point differential in a season is +12.3 established by the 1971-72 Lakers. The next highest mark in franchise history was +9.3 by the 1986-87 Lakers, making the ‘71-72 season the only year in which a Lakers team has ever averaged victory by double-figures. Phil Jackson’s 1999-00 Lakers rank third on this list with a +8.5 average margin of victory.

WIRE-TO-WIRE
The Lakers posted their third wire-to-wire victory of the season with their 104-90 victory over Denver November 21. On opening night, the Lakers defeated the Trail Blazers 96-76 for their first wire-to-wire victory of the season and defeated the Hornets 93-86 at New Orleans November 12 for their second wire-to-wire victory of the season. Last season, the Lakers did not record their first wire-to-wire victory until December 16 vs. LA Clippers. In 2007-08, the Lakers ranked second in the NBA behind only the Dallas Mavericks (18) with 15 wire-to-wire victories (games in which they never trailed). The Lakers also posted four such victories during the 2008 postseason, going wire-to-wire against the Jazz in Games 5 and 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals versus Utah and Games 2 and 4 of the Western Conference Finals versus San Antonio. Conversely, the Lakers played just two games last season in which the opposite was true, having never led in their 11/23/07 loss at Boston and 1/17/08 loss to Phoenix.