Lakers’ Bryant, Bynum Lead Way As L.A. Begins Title Defense With Win Over Clippers

Yahoo’s Kelly Dwyer asks the question, and provides an answer, along with a superb recap of the game:

There’s a lot more great stuff over there, so check it out. And as for the Lakers, this has the makings of a team that toys with opponents all year long. They’re shockingly talented—really, there’s head-scratching amounts of talent out there—and experienced enough to know that it’s a long season. This is a double-edged sword, though.

Full boxscore here.

In what was a starry night, Bryant didn’t disappoint as he poured in 33 points, pulled down eight rebounds and had four steals. Andrew Bynum celebrated his 22nd birthday by chipping in 26 points and 13 rebounds, while newlywed Lamar Odom tacked on 16 points and 13 boards for the Lakers.