Read more about the Lakers' trip to D.C. at our team blogs, Silver Screen and Roll and Bullets Forever.
Lakers Use 60-Point First Half To Beat Wiards, 115-103
Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Kobe Bryant paced the Lakers with 26 points and eight assists, while Pau Gasol notched a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds, as Los Angeles used a big second-quarter to take a 115-103 decision over Washington.
Lamar Odom chipped in with 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench, Andrew Bynum donated 12 points and Shannon Brown added 11 for the Lakers, who celebrated a visit to the White House on Monday with a victory in the nation's capital on Tuesday.
Antawn Jamison led Washington with 27 points and nine rebounds, while Caron Butler contributed 18 points and eight rebounds. Mike Miller scored 15 points and Brendan Haywood joined Randy Foye with 11 points apiece. Washington lost the final four games of a six-game homestand.
The Lakers scored seven of the first period’s final 10 points to take a slim 30-29 edge into the second then used that momentum to increase the advantage by halftime.
Los Angeles tallied eight points in succession, during which Washington went over three minutes without a field goal, to build a double-digit edge at 48-37. The lead grew to 55-41 on a Brown breakaway slam with just under two minutes on the clock.
Derek Fisher's three was an emotional dagger at the conclusion of the half as it built a 60-44 advantage.
The Wizards worked their way within 70-60 with just under six minutes remaining in the third quarter, but the margin was quickly pushed back to 15 points at 79-64 on Gasol's transition slam with 3:59 on the clock.
A lead that hovered in the mid-teens again drew back to 10 at 89-79 when DeShawn Stevenson put home a three with just over 10 minutes to go. A free throw from Jamison about a minute later cut the deficit to nine, 91-82, but the Lakers scored the next three capped by Brown's three to remove any chance of a rally.
The Lakers shot 58.7 percent from the floor and made 18-of-22 from the charity stripe...Washington made 51.2 percent of its shots...Los Angeles has won six straight versus the Wizards and four in a row at the Verizon Center.
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