By GREG BEACHAM

Posted Dec 02 2009 1:06AM

LOS ANGELES(AP) Andrew Bynum scored 21 points, Kobe Bryant added 18 on a light night of work and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Orleans Hornets 110-99 Tuesday for their seventh straight victory.

Ron Artest scored 16 points as the Lakers remained undefeated in six games since the return of Pau Gasol, who had 14 points in Los Angeles' balanced offense.

The Lakers moved in front of Phoenix atop the Western Conference by taking another big first-half lead and coasting to their NBA-best 11th home victory. Seven players scored at least seven points while Los Angeles beat New Orleans at Staples Center for the second time in 24 days.

Former UCLA star Darren Collison scored 20 points for the Hornets, who lost their fifth straight road game. New Orleans has the NBA's second-worst road record at 1-9, only ahead of the 0-11 New Jersey Nets, and is winless on the road since beating the Clippers at Staples Center on Nov. 9.

Emeka Okafor added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Hornets, who played again without All-Star point guard Chris Paul and forward Peja Stojakovic. Paul still has a seriously sprained left ankle, while Stojakovic missed his second straight game to deal with a family member's illness.

The Lakers overpowered New Orleans last month with solid bench play and Bryant's low-post scoring, which more than made up for the injury absences of Bynum and Gasol in a 104-88 win. Los Angeles is nearly at full strength now, and its bulky front line was too much for the depleted Hornets.

The Lakers extended the NBA's longest current winning streak with yet another strong second quarter. Los Angeles made a 21-4 run that included 10 straight points during the period, rolling to a 23-point lead.

While New Orleans is struggling on the road, the Lakers don't even know what kind of road team they are. Thanks to a curious early-season schedule, the defending champions have played 13 of their first 17 games at home, and they've still got four more games left at Staples Center on this six-game homestand.

New Orleans might have improved its defense after Sunday's embarrassing 16-point loss at Sacramento, but the Lakers' outstanding ball movement still generated plenty of open shots. Four Lakers scored in double figures in the first half, with Fisher getting six assists.

Los Angeles again concentrated on low-post play against the undersized Hornets, with Bynum often scoring easily against Okafor. The Lakers had made more than 60 percent of their shots late in the third quarter.

NOTES: Bryant and New Orleans' Devin Brown exchanged looks and words after a hard foul by Brown in the third quarter. ... The teams don't meet again until March 29, when the Lakers make their only visit to New Orleans. ... Courtside seats were filled by actors Jack Black and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas, and Lew Wolff, the Los Angeles real estate mogul who owns part of the Oakland Athletics.

Copyright 2009 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Lakers’ Coach Phil Jackson on tonight’s game:
“We played three quarters of pretty good basketball. I was a little bit concerned about our defense versus the screen roll but we measured it up in the second quarter, played pretty well, extended the lead and kind of had a cushion to play with during the rest of the night.”

On the balanced scoring tonight:
“I thought Kobe generated a lot of what was done regardless of Fish’, also with the assists, and the way they moved the ball and played. Everybody got into it in various manner; Ron with some three’s, ‘Drew inside, you know, a beneficiary of a lot of good passes from guys too. But I like the aggressiveness; I liked the offense, in the first half particularly.”
Lakers’ Coach Phil Jackson on defending the Hornets:
“We tried to make two or three adjustments during the course of the night as far as how we played. We had a little control of it in the second period; they broke out again in the third, I thought, at times, although more of that was, I thought, defensively wandering, a little too much help.”

On being able to rest the starters for an extended time:
“That’s a really big part of it. We have a really good eight-man rotation that’s going right now; we have to figure out how to get a nine-man rotation in there, but it’s working well at this level. Usually I’d like to get at least nine guys in the rotation to keep everybody hungry and active to play good basketball. If you can play guys under 30-minutes in the course of an NBA season that’s all gravy for you as a team.”

On measuring the Lakers as of this point in the season:
“I think we’re playing pretty good basketball but you really can’t measure it, I think it’s really hard to measure it. I think we’ll get, really, a measure of this team, where we’re at this point in the season, with Miami and Phoenix on Friday and Sunday.”

On if he was happy with the win or disappointed with the close:
“I try to measure it off both territories: good win, could be better.”

Lakers’ Pau Gasol on the team tonight:
“It’s good, things are going well. We are all working hard and we are looking pretty good out there. We are looking forward to continuing to get better, focus on every single game and continue to win.”

On playing a team you are expected to beat:
“Sometimes, sometimes it allows you to maybe relax a little too much and you do not come out with the aggressiveness that is necessary to win an NBA game. You have to make sure that your focus is where it needs to be and make sure you come out and play and work hard.”

On the Hornets playing without Chris Paul:
“They are very different obviously. Chris is a guy that makes a big difference. He is probably one of the best point guards in the league and he creates so much for himself and for the others and just makes the game easier for everybody else.”

Lakers’ Andrew Bynum on his efficiency tonight:
“[I had] a good warm-up before the game and I was able to get the ball pretty low. As soon as I got it, they’re a little bit shorter so it made it easier to score over the top.”

On the team getting him the ball tonight:
“They were looking and I just had my hands up and was just being big.”

On the win tonight despite loosing the big lead:
“We did close. But especially that second unit, they really got to set and run the triangle more and get organized. That’s the big issue.”

On Coach Jackson’s decision to leave that particular line-up to finish the game:
“I think he needs to start doing that some more because they have to get out of that. We need to rely on them when we start playing some better teams and the games get close down to the wire.”

Lakers’ Lamar Odom on Coach Jackson’s decision to leave that particular line-up to finish the game:
“We have to do a better job at closing those games. Use each other to each others’ strength. Sharing the basketball and moving it within the triangle. Know how to use each other.”

On the 7-game winning streak:
“It’s good. We just want to keep it going. Keep the momentum going. Keep getting better and better and better.”

Hornets Coach Jeff Bower on the size of the Lakers:
“Their size and the quality of their size and the depth of their size is a problem for every team. It was a problem for us. Their deep post ups were hard to handle. They were big factors in the free throw differential, which was a huge thing to overcome. I thought we battled in the third and fourth quarter and competed to close it up and give ourselves a chance. We just had dug ourselves such a deep hole in the second quarter that it was very, very difficult.”

New Orleans Hornets’ player David West on tonight’s game:
“The second quarter we just got beat. No continuation on what we did in the first quarter as far as setting the tone. That’s what the Lakers do, they stick to what they do. They share the ball.”

New Orleans Hornets’ player Darren Collison on the Laker’s strengths:
“Well obviously the Lakers’ length. They got some bigs. They spread their arms out and it covers up a large margin of space. Whenever you have the space, you’re going to go on from there. And they had that space. It made it tough for us when we were passing the ball. You’ve got to pick your plays because if you drive, you may land into the bottom of Pau Gasol. You have to be careful with how you initiate the offense.”

By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA

Posted Nov 30 2009 4:11PM

The Los Angeles Lakers are settling down defensively after an inconsistent start. That doesn't bode well for a New Orleans Hornets team that could be without two of their top scorers.

Winners of six straight, the Lakers will not have to contend with Chris Paul and may not have to worry about Peja Stojakovic in a matchup with the Hornets on Tuesday night.

Los Angeles (13-3) is holding opponents to an average of 90.8 points during its winning streak after surrendering at least 100 in its previous three contests. The Lakers are coming off one of their best games of the season defensively, albeit against winless New Jersey in a 106-87 victory Sunday night.

"The defense is getting better and better," Los Angeles star Kobe Bryant said. "We're working really, really hard at it. Energy has been consistent. This is something we feel like we can maintain."

Los Angeles held New Orleans (7-10) to 36.5 percent shooting in a 104-88 home win Nov. 8, even though Paul and Stojakovic both played.

Paul, who had 15 points and nine assists, is now out indefinitely with a sprained ankle. Stojakovic, meanwhile, missed New Orleans' 112-96 loss to Sacramento on Sunday night due to personal reasons, and it's uncertain if he'll rejoin the Hornets in time to face the Lakers.

Stojakovic is averaging 11.6 points while making 38.8 percent of his shots from 3-point range. James Posey replaced him in the starting lineup versus the Kings and scored eight points in 41 minutes.

New Orleans has lost two of three after winning its previous three. The Hornets have dropped four straight on the road and are 1-9 away from New Orleans Arena.

David West has needed to carry more of the scoring burden with Paul sidelined. He's averaging 15.8 points, but has totaled 51 over his last two games.

West will likely draw Los Angeles defensive stopper Ron Artest, whose scoring has fallen in his first season on the talent-rich Lakers. Artest has posted 12.2 points per game, nearly five below last season's average, but is shooting 39.1 percent from 3-point range.

Bryant made five 3-pointers and finished with 30 points against the Nets. He went into that contest with seven 3-pointers made this season, and he's now shooting 27.9 percent (12 for 43) from beyond the arc.

Backup point guard Jordan Farmar, meanwhile, is 5 for 8 from long range over his last two games, scoring a total of 25 points during that span. The former first-round pick has given Los Angeles a boost with starter Derek Fisher off to an inconsistent start.

"I like the aggressiveness," Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson said of Farmar. "There are obviously things that I want him to do a little bit better all the time, and that's natural. ... That aggressiveness he has with the basketball in the end of quarters is really important for us. We really need that."

Copyright 2009 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Luke Walton (pinched nerve, back) is out.

Ike Diogu (strained left knee) is questionable.
Chris Paul (sprained left ankle) is out.

SEASON & SERIES NOTES; CONNECTIONS
The Lakers currently lead the season series with New Orleans 1-0 after winning last season’s series with the Hornets 3-1, taking both games in New Orleans after building 19+ point halftime leads in both contests but splitting their games at STAPLES Center 1-1 with their lone win coming in overtime. In their most recent loss to the Hornets (1/6/09), David West scored a series-high 40 points for the Hornets, surpassing Baron Davis’ old mark of 37 established when the team was in Charlotte back in 2002. The Lakers are 7-3 in their last 10 games against New Orleans and have won five of their last six overall meetings. The Lakers are 7-3 in their last 10 homes games against the Hornets and are 11-4 all-time against the Hornets at STAPLES Center. Since the Hornets move to New Orleans from Charlotte prior to the 2002-03 season, the Lakers have gone 7-2 at New Orleans Arena while going 0-2 at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City during their temporary relocation from 2005-07. Under head coach Phil Jackson, the Lakers are 18-8 against the Hornets. In 2006, the Lakers and Hornets took part in the city of New Orleans first professional sports game following Hurricane Katrina when they met at the New Orleans Arena March 8, 2006. The Lakers won that contest 113-107 behind 40 points from Kobe Bryant. In 2006-07, Bryant scored a series record 50 points 3/23/07, becoming just the second player in NBA history to score 50+ points in four consecutive games. In their first meeting of the 2007-08 season (11/6/07), Peja Stojakovic made a Lakers opponent record 10 three-point field goals while Chris Paul became only the 7th Lakers opponent to record at least 21 assists in a game and the first since John Stockton did so in April of 1990. Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons spent the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons as an assistant coach in New Orleans. Hornets first round draft pick Darren Collison was teammates at UCLA for the 2005-06 season with Lakers guard Jordan Farmar during Collison’s freshman year (Farmar’s sophomore season).

ALL FIVE LAKERS STARTERS IN DOUBLE-FIGURES
In the Lakers 130-97 victory over Golden State November 28th, all five Lakers starters scored in double-figures for the third time in the last four games. In the Lakers first eleven games without Pau Gasol in the lineup, there was not one game where all five Lakers starters scored in double figures, but in the four games since Gasol’s return, all five starters have scored in double figures three times. Furthermore, in the four games since Gasol’s return, the Lakers have gone 4-0, while beating their opponent by an average of 18.5 points.

BACK-TO-BACK
Sunday’s game against the Nets is the second of a back-to-back set with the Golden State and New Jersey. This season, the Lakers are 3-0 in the first game and 1-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. On the year, the Lakers will play 20 sets of back-to-back games, the most the team has played in a single season since playing 22 sets of back-to-backs during the 1999-00 campaign. Last year, the Lakers played 19 sets of back-to-backs, going 14-5 in the first game and 14-5 in the second as well. Charlotte, Detroit and Milwaukee lead the league with 23 back-to-backs each in 2009-10 while New Orleans (15) and San Antonio (17) will play the fewest sets this season.

WIRE-TO-WIRE
With their 130-97 victory at Golden State November 28th, the Lakers posted their SECOND wire-to-wire victory of the season, after posting their first wire-to-wire victory on the year with a 104-88 victory over New Orleans November 8th. Last season, the Lakers claimed nine wire-to-wire victories (games in which they never trailed) during the regular season, tied for 3rd most in the league (Phoenix) behind Cleveland (14) and Orlando (13). The Lakers also won in wire-to-wire fashion twice during the 2009 Playoffs (4/29 vs. Utah and 5/17 vs. Houston). Additionally, the Lakers were one of only two teams last season (Cleveland) to never lose in wire-to-wire fashion during the regular season. In the playoffs, however, the Lakers played two games in which they never led, falling twice to Houston in the Conference Semifinals (5/10/09 at HOU and 5/14/09 at HOU). In the regular season, the Lakers have not lost in wire-to-wire fashion since 1/17/08 vs. PHX

BYNUM’S STRONG START
With 44 double-doubles and 13 20+ point games entering 2009-10, Andrew Bynum has already posted EIGHT double-doubles and SIX 20+ point games in 13 games this season. Among the top 10 leaders in double-doubles, Bynum, who currently ranks 7th league-wide behind Chris Bosh (14), Dwight Howard (12), Carlos Boozer (10), Gerald Wallace (10), Steve Nash (9), and Luis Scola (9), has played the fewest games. Additionally, with his current averages of 19.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.69 blocks over 36.1 minutes, Bynum falls shy of joining Bosh (25.1 pts, 11.9 reb) as the only players in the league to average better than 20 points and 10 rebounds per contest.

BRYANT MOVES PAST ABDUL-JABBAR ON LAKERS ALL-TIME FRANCHISE SCORING LIST
With his free throw at the 6:07 mark of the third quarter November 19th vs. Chicago, Kobe Bryant moved past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (24,176) for 2nd on the Lakers all-time franchise scoring list. While only Jerry West (25,192) has scored more points with the Lakers than Bryant (24,262), at his current scoring average (29.5 ppg), Bryant would surpass West approximately 32 games from now 1/27/10 at Indiana. Earlier this month, with 41 points November 6th against Memphis, Bryant moved past Allen Iverson (24,020) for 16th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Bryant has been steadily moving up the list the last few years and last season alone, moved past Charles Barkley (23,757) for 17th, Robert Parish (23,334) for 18th, Adrian Dantley (23,177) for 19th, Elgin Baylor (23,149) for 20th, Clyde Drexler (22,195) for 21st, Gary Payton (21,813) for 22nd and Larry Bird (21,791) for 23rd. Next on the NBA’s all-time list ahead of Bryant (24,262) are Patrick Ewing (24,815) and Jerry West (25,192).

40-POINT GAMES
Kobe Bryant scored 40 points 11/17/09 vs. Detroit, marking the 100th time in his career that he has scored 40+ points in a game and the 4th time this season, matching his total for all of last season (4). Bryant’s 46 points February 1, 2008 at Toronto moved him past Elgin Baylor (88 40+ games) for 3rd all-time and into 1st in Lakers franchise history. In the history of the NBA, only two players have more career 40-point games: Wilt Chamberlain (271) and Michael Jordan (173). The Lakers are now 69-31 all- time in games that Bryant scores 40+ points and are 4-0 in such games this season. Bryant holds the Lakers franchise record for 40-point games in a single season, recording 27 during the 2005-06 campaign. Bryant also holds the franchise record for most consecutive 40-point games (9), established during the 2002-03 season, which is tied for the fourth longest such streak in NBA history (Michael Jordan) behind Wilt Chamberlain, who twice posted streaks of 14 and once had a 10-game streak.