Kings 107 - 115 Lakers
Final
  for this game

Bryant, Lakers take on Kings in LA

Mar 2, 2012 - 3:56 PM (Sports Network) - If Kobe Bryant won't let a broken nose and concussion stop him, it's unlikely the Sacramento Kings will.

Bryant and the Lakers will resume a three-game homestand tonight against Sacramento at Staples Center.

Bryant, playing with a protective facemask after suffering a broken nose and concussion in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game, scored a game-high 31 points, dished out eight assists and grabbed seven rebounds in almost 33 minutes of action in Los Angeles' easy 104-85 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.

"I just felt like I started sweating immediately," said Bryant of the mask. "It was like a sauna on my face. I was drinking my own sweat or something, and it was totally disgusting."

Fellow All-Star Andrew Bynum contributed his career-best 22nd double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds and Pau Gasol added 15 for Los Angeles, which has won three of four and stands a game behind its city rival Clippers in the Pacific Division.

Bryant was cleared to play against the Wolves after he passed all of neurologist Dr. Vern Williams's tests and wasted no time proving he was okay on the court.

He pulled down a rebound on the game's first shot and sunk his first attempt from the field less than two minutes after tip-off. The guard would score 10 points in the first quarter and the Lakers never looked back.

"We looked really sharp. We played really well, we were intense," Bryant said. "We played with a lot of energy. we played with a lot of aggression."

The Lakers, who are a gaudy 15-2 at Staples Center, will finish their residency against Eastern power Miami on Sunday.

The Kings, who are kicking off a three-game road trip tonight, are coming off a 108-100 setback to the Clippers on Thursday.

DeMarcus Cousins led Sacramento in that one with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Marcus Thornton posted 18 points. Tyreke Evans also scored 18 points with six rebounds for the Kings, who saw their brief two-game winning streak come to an end.

"This is one of the top teams in the league and you have to play a perfect game," said Kings coach Keith Smart when talking about the Clips. "I thought we played a perfect game for about five minutes here and there. Once we didn't do that, the game got away from us."

The bigger news for the Kings, however, came off the floor when the city of Sacramento announced its plan for a new $391 million arena that would keep the Kings in California's capital for at least another 30 years.

The Lakers have won nine of their past 11 vs. Sacramento but the Kings took the only meeting so far this season, a 100-91 win in Sac-Town on Dec. 26.






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