Kobe Bryant scored 37 points and Andrew Bynum registered his first career 20-20 game to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 108-99 win at home Tuesday over the Houston Rockets. The Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter, turning a one-point game after three quarters into a comfortable win by outscoring the Rockets 32-24 in the final frame.
Lakers Vs. Rockets: Kobe Bryant Scores 37 As Lakers Roll, 108-99
Bryant shot 14-29 from the field, a solid bounce-back performance from the past weekend, when he shot just 26 percent while averaging 16.5 points in a home-and-home series with the Denver Nuggets. Bynum, meanwhile, scored 21 points (8-15 shooting) with 22 rebounds. Pau Gasol, who was nearly traded to the Rockets in the Lakers' failed attempt to acquire Chris Paul, scored 14 points with eight rebounds against his would-be teammates.
The Rockets were led by Kyle Lowry, who finished just one assist shy of a triple-double (22 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists), and Luis Scola, who scored 20 points to go with five rebounds.
The Lakers improved to 4-3 on the season and into first place of the Pacific Division. The Rockets, meanwhile, fell to 2-3 and are still looking for their first win on the road.
For more on this matchup, visit our Lakers blog, Silver Screen and Roll and SB Nation Los Angeles, as well as our Rockets blog, The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.
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