TORONTO - Kobe Bryant led the Los Angeles Lakers with 20 points but it was the work of subs Andrew Bynum, Shannon Brown and Matt Barnes that made the difference in a 120-110 victory over the shorthanded Toronto Raptors on Sunday afternoon.
Bynum had 16, Brown 14 and Barnes 12 while Pau Gasol added 19 points and eight rebounds for the defending NBA champions, who overcame a slugglish start, took the lead for good midway through the second quarter and didn't let up in winning their fifth straight to finish a seven-game road trip at 6-1.
The Raptors (10-18), playing without leading scorer Andrea Bargnani (sore right ankle) and guard Sonny Weems (back spasms), received strong efforts from Linus Kleiza, who matched a season-high with 26 points, and DeMar DeRozan, who scored 23, but just didn't have the depth to keep pace with Los Angeles (21-7).
They struggled all afternoon to find an inside presence to matchup against Gasol and Bynum, especially once Amir Johnson, who scored 14, began fighting a bout of lower back tightness.
Jose Calderon added 20 points and 12 assists while Leandro Barbosa chipped in 11 points for the Raptors, who lost for the third time in four outings.
Even with Bryant playing a secondary role because of a sprained right pinky finger he suffered Friday night in Philadelphia, the Raptors couldn't keep this one as close as they did during a 108-103 loss in L.A. on Nov. 5.
Toronto never got closer than six in the fourth quarter and trailed by as many as 13 in the final frame, even though starters Bryant, Gasol and Lamar Odom only played the final 4 1-2 minutes. The Lakers bench outscored Toronto's 57-27.
A wild third quarter ended with the Lakers up 86-79 after Barbosa intercepted an inbounds pass with two seconds left and drained a prayer from halfcourt. The circus shot capped a see-saw 12 minutes in which Bryant poured in nine points as L.A. went up by as much as 16 only to watch Toronto whittle it to within four.
DeRozan led the way with 19 third-quarter points on 6-of-7 shooting for the Raptors.
The Lakers took a 57-49 lead into the third quarter, undoing all of the Raptors' strong start during a dominant second quarter in which they outscored them 29-15 and held the hosts to dismal 3-of-18 shooting. More impressive is that they did it without a single point from Bryant -- the L.A. bench erased an eight-point deficit and handed over a 42-40 lead to the starters with six minutes left in the quarter.
The Raptors had finished an entertaining first quarter up 34-28, behind 12 points and three assists from Johnson. His finest moment came late in the frame, when he took an alley-oop pass from Jerryd Bayless and threw it down with one hand.
But Bryant helped keep things close with some dazzling play. In quick succession, he scored after mesmerizing DeRozan by switching hands off the dribble, doing again with a spin move, and a third time by charging to the hoop for an easy dunk.
Notes: With the Raptors short-handed, centre Solomon Alabi made his debut. ... Aside from Bargnani and Weems, the Raptors were also without Peja Stojakovic (swollen left knee) and Reggie Evans (broken right foot). ... Theo Ratliff (left knee surgery) was the only inactive for the Lakers. ... Former Raptor forward Jerome (Junk Yard Dog) Williams, still a fan favourite, was in the crowd.
