Hornets 73 - 106 Lakers
Final
  for this game

Bryant, Lakers pile on struggling Bobcats

Feb 1, 2012 - 7:12 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Kobe Bryant led six scorers in double figures with 24 points and the Lakers cruised to a 106-73 win over the Bobcats on Tuesday.

Andrew Bynum added 20 points and 11 rebounds while rookie Andrew Goudelock chipped in 12 points for the Lakers, who have won two straight and three of four. They improved to 11-2 at home on the season.

Gerald Henderson paced the Bobcats, losers of nine in a row, with 14 points. Kemba Walker and Derrick Brown both scored 12.

"We just couldn't make shots," said Bobcats coach Paul Silas. "You do that against a team like that and you're in trouble."

The odds were in the Lakers' favor on Tuesday. They have been stalwarts at Staples Center, while Charlotte has been anemic on the road, losing nine straight as the guest.

In fact, the Bobcats have generally struggled this season. They have lost 15 of 16 overall and haven't cracked the 100-point barrier in nine straight games.

On Tuesday, Bryant ensured an upset wasn't in the cards, scoring 18 first- quarter points en route to a 30-18 cushion. The advantage was 24 at the break, as LA shot 58.5 percent from the floor and got 14 points from Bynum.

The Bobcats made a brief surge in the third, reeling off an 8-0 run in the early going, then cutting the deficit to 66-53 on a Boris Diaw bucket with less than four minutes to go in the quarter.

It was 73-58 at the start of the fourth and LA opened with a 10-2 run, capped by a trey from Troy Murphy, to put the game away. In all, the Lakers' reserves went 7-for-11 from beyond the arc in the fourth.

"We got a lot of good production from our team," said Lakers coach Mike Brown. "Our bench was terrific. Our spacing is a lot better, we're moving the ball."

Los Angeles has now scored over 100 points in two consecutive games after not reaching the century mark for 13 straight.

Game Notes

The Lakers will start a six-game road trip on Friday, visiting the Nuggets, Jazz, Sixers, Celtics, Knicks and Raptors... The Bobcats are 1-11 as the guest this season and will conclude a four-game road trip with visits to Portland, Phoenix and Boston.






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