NEW YORK, Feb. 24 (Ticker) -- This time the reeling New York Knicks were not so fortunate to miss out on either Shaquille O'Neal or Kobe Bryant.

O'Neal bullied his way inside for 30 points and 15 rebounds and Bryant added 27 points as the Los Angeles Lakers cruised to a 107-91 victory over the Knicks.

New York won both meetings from the Lakers last season, but the 7-1, 315-pounder O'Neal missed the game here in January 2001 with a sore left foot and Bryant was forced to leave the April rematch at Los Angeles in the first quarter with an ankle injury.

The Knicks had no such luck this time and were not much of a match for Los Angeles, falling behind by 14 points by the end of the first quarter and as many as 21 points in the second quarter.

NBA TV highlights from Lakers-Knicks: 56k | 300k Shaquille O'Neal had his way against Felton Spencer and the rest of the New York Knicks. Nathaniel Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

New York pulled within eight on two occasions in the second half, but each time the Lakers responded with a run of their own to get the lead back into double digits.

O'Neal scored all of his points through the first three quarters and Robert Horry had 20, including four 3-pointers, for the Lakers, who improved to 3-0 on a five-game road trip which continues in Milwaukee on Tuesday and ends in Minnesota on Wednesday.

The loss was the fifth straight and ninth in 11 games for the Knicks, who reside in last place in the Atlantic Division, 2 1/2 games behind Miami Heat.

Latrell Sprewell led the Knicks with 22 points and Allan Houston added 21, but they combined to shoot 16-of-40 from the field.

The 6-9, 230-pound Kurt Thomas had the assignment of trying to guard O'Neal, who used his massive frame to post up in the lane for easy bank shots. But Thomas was able to score 17 points and grab 10 rebounds.

The 7-foot, 265-pound Felton Spencer came off the bench to spell Thomas against O'Neal and committed four fouls in 10 minutes.

O'Neal had 10 points and Bryant scored eight in the first quarter when the Lakers built a 32-18 lead. Los Angeles shot 68 percent in the quarter, converting 15-of-22 shots.

Bryant hit three jumpers, O'Neal had a pair of dunks, Horry connected on a 3-pointer and Rick Fox added a tip-in as the Lakers closed the period with a 15-4 run.

When Los Angeles increased the lead to 44-27 on a dunk by O'Neal on a two-on-one break with 5:44 left in the half, the crowd at Madison Square Garden serenaded the Knicks with a chorus of boos. At that point, Sprewell was just 1-of-6 from the field and Houston had converted only 2-of-7 shots.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Bryant and Fox gave the Lakers their biggest lead at 52-31 with 3:18 remaining in the second quarter.

Sprewell finally showed signs of life, scoring nine points to highlight an 11-2 run which pulled the Knicks within 54-42.

A driving layup by Derek Fisher capped the half, giving the Lakers a 56-42 advantage.

The Knicks opened the second half with an 8-2 run as Thomas converted a three-point play, Mark Jackson lofted a layup over O'Neal and Sprewell hit a 3-pointer, pulling the Knicks within 58-50.

But O'Neal scored six straight points on a pair of free throws and two bank shots in the lane over Spencer and Bryant added a pair of free throws to open the lead to 66-50 with 7:28 left in the third quarter.

The Knicks responded with a 9-2 spurt as Sprewell converted three jumpers and Houston added a 3-pointer.

However, a spinning layup by Bryant and a 3-pointer by Horry ignited a 12-4 run which gave the Lakers an 80-63 advantage with 1:48 left in the third.

The Knicks followed with seven straight points on baskets by Thomas and Sprewell and a 3-pointer by Houston before O'Neal closed the quarter with a left baseline jumper for his last basket of the game.

A 3-pointer by Charlie Ward pulled the Knicks within 91-83 with 5:48 left in the fourth quarter, but Fisher connected on an open 3-pointer and Devean George converted a three-point play with 4:46 remaining.

After a tip-in by New York's Shandon Anderson, Mark Madsen hit 1-of-2 free throws, Fisher converted another 3-pointer and Bryant added a pair of free throws to open a 103-85 lead with 2:32 left.