CLEVELAND, Feb. 21 (Ticker) -- The 1-2 punch of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant proved too much for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

O'Neal scored 31 points and Bryant added 32 as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game skid -- their longest in 2 1/2 seasons under coach Phil Jackson -- with a 104-97 triumph over Cleveland in the opener of a five-game road trip.

The Lakers took the lead for good at 12-11 after O'Neal threw down a dunk with 5:58 left in the first quarter. Although Los Angeles never was seriously challenged, it did not lead by double digits until Bryant scored on a spinning jumper in the lane with 57 seconds left to make it 104-93.

NBA TV highlights from Lakers-Cavs: 56k | 300k Kobe Bryant had six assists to go with his 32 points. David Liam Kyle NBAE/Getty Images

After Jumaine Jones socred on a tip with 9:26 left to cut the deficit to 85-81, Derek Fisher countered with a 21-foot fadeaway and Devean George made a dunk. Cleveland got no closer than six points thereafter.

Beginning a week-long trek, Los Angeles won for the sixth time in its last seven road contests and extended its winning streak over Cleveland to five games.

Lamond Murray, who gave Cleveland its last lead at 11-10 on a 3-pointer, paced the Cavaliers with 23 points. Ricky Davis added 19 off the bench.

Andre Miller chipped in 13 and 15 assists but had nine turnovers for Cleveland, which has lost two straight since a season-high four-game winning streak.

"I think I had almost 10 turnovers," Miller said. "It was mainly being lazy with the ball and not being strong with the ball. They turned it into points, and that's something you can't do against a team like that."

Cleveland committed 18 turnovers, which Los Angeles converted into 21 points. The Lakers, who had a season-high 21 turnovers in a one-point loss to Boston on Tuesday, committed only five in this one, which the Cavs converted into just four points.

The Cavs lost despite manhandling the Lakers on the boards, 51-30, and having more second-chance points, 17-12.

"We had five turnovers in a game like this, and that was the only thing that gave us an opportunity to win, because we were outrebounded by 20 rebounds," Jackson said.

Los Angeles allowed Cleveland to shoot 46 percent (36-of-78), but the Lakers were even better from the floor, sinking 50 percent (43-of-86) despite having no players beside O'Neal and Bryant reach double figures.

O'Neal was 13-of-25 from the field and 5-of-6 from the line, while Bryant converted 13-of-24 shots and had six rebounds and six assists. O'Neal's myriad dunks and Bryant's multiple driving layups helped the Lakers outscore the Cavs in the paint, 58-36.

"The Cavs were playing desperate ball and they weren't really shooting the ball well," said O'Neal, who played just his second game since missing the previous five with an arthritic big toe. "We weren't blocking out, but we played team ball and everybody was involved. Kobe did his thing, I did my thing and everybody else did their thing."

Los Angeles led, 53-44, at halftime and 83-78 entering the fourth quarter after Bryant drove the length of the court and hit a jumper from the right baseline at the buzzer while falling out of bounds.

"Their two big people scored points for them and our mistakes led to their points and that's how they won the game," Miller said. "We burned our energy coming back and had nothing left when it got close."

Cleveland dropped to 18-35, only five games ahead of the Chicago Bulls in last place in the Eastern Conference.

"I thought we played very, very hard," Cavs coach John Lucas said. "We controlled everybody except Kobe and Shaq, and they ended up beating us. I am about winning basketball games and I am not enjoying this."

Los Angeles, the two-time defending NBA champions, improved to 36-16 and moved within three games of first-place Sacramento in the Pacific Division and the top seed in the Western Conference after the Kings were blown out in San Antonio on Thursday.

"We didn't play particularly well, but I feel we have established a rhythm," said Bryant. "As far as the third title, we are hungry to win again. It's a slow process, but when you get to the playoffs, you have to kick it up a little."