Lakers' win is a keeper

Think Kobe Bryant still wants to go to the Chicago Bulls?

No matter what the future holds, one thing was obvious Sunday night -- Kobe Bryant's current team is playing far better than the one near the top of his wish list.

It was an early-season game, but it was also history, a 106-78 win over the Bulls becoming the Los Angeles Lakers' largest margin of victory in the teams' 41-year series history.

It was slow going at halftime -- 46-45, Bulls -- and then the Los Angeles Lakers lit up, taking the second half by a whopping 61-32 advantage in front of an appreciative Staples Center crowd.

The Los Angeles Lakers would have been in a more celebratory mood if Kwame Brown hadn't been helped off the court in the first quarter after sustaining moderate sprains in his left knee and left ankle. X-rays were negative, and he will miss at least three games.

Still, a victory over the Bulls spun all sorts of angles, for obvious reasons.

Kobe Bryant, who had 18 points on six-for-16 shooting, said he wasn't struck by the irony of the outcome, even though the team he wants to leave drubbed a team he wants to join.

"No," he said matter-of-factly. "I don't really think about it. It's just another game."

Kobe Bryant was then asked if he would like his deposit back on Michael Jordan's house. A recent story in a Chicago newspaper said Kobe Bryant was thinking about purchasing Jordan's home in suburban Chicago.

"I actually thought about purchasing it, decided not to," he said. "I like Oprah's penthouse instead."

Kobe Bryant smiled, a crowd of reporters burst into laughter around him, and the Los Angeles Lakers found themselves with a surprising 6-3 record. The Bulls fell to an equally unexpected 2-7.

Kobe Bryant's teammates almost refuse to ponder life without him, with one particular question -- why would Kobe Bryant even want to play for the Bulls? -- drawing a sharp response from Lamar Odom.

"I'm definitely not going to answer that question," he said. "Why would you even ask me that? I don't think he wants to go anywhere. As far as I'm concerned, he's happy here. We're 6-3."

Everybody on the Los Angeles Lakers looked pleased.

The reserves continued to be a source of strength, scoring 73 points Sunday, the most since an 88-point contribution in a 136-100 victory over Golden State in April 1988. Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmar each had 14 points, Vladimir Radmanovic and Chris Mihm each had 11, and Luke Walton had 10.

The Los Angeles Lakers had not had five reserves in double figures since a 133-106 win over Cleveland in March 1985.

"I don't think we've ever had a box [score] like this," Coach Phil Jackson said. "It was quite unusual."

It was over after an 18-0 run that began with 1:30 left in the third quarter and ended with the Los Angeles Lakers ahead, 81-60, with 9:45 left in the fourth.

The Bulls were short-handed -- forward Luol Deng sat out because of a sore back -- but the Los Angeles Lakers were down two front court players after Kwame Brown joined Ronny Turiaf (sprained ankle) in the injury department.

Kwame Brown was injured when Chicago center Ben Wallace crashed into his knee after taking a charge from Kobe Bryant with 8:28 left in the first quarter.

Kwame Brown will not go on the Los Angeles Lakers' three-game road trip that begins Tuesday in Indianapolis and concludes with games against Milwaukee and Boston. The ankle in question is the same one on which he had reconstructive surgery in May, although Kwame Brown said the knee felt worse than the ankle.

"Sharp pain," he said. "They told me to stay behind. They didn't want my knee to swell up on the plane."

The Los Angeles Lakers would be pleased if they could continue to duplicate the production they got at center against Chicago. Andrew Bynum made six of nine shots, had 10 rebounds and became the main subject matter when Kobe Bryant was asked about his big-picture thoughts of the Los Angeles Lakers.

"I'm very impressed," he said. "I think Andrew's been doing a tremendous job. When I get in the gym early, he's in there as well, working on the same moves that he was showcasing tonight, so it's no accident that he's playing this well."

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