Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scoreboard - Live Odds - Sporting Events - Live Lines

Final Score: LA Lakers 121 - Toronto 101

Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Kobe Bryant scored 46 points, two shy of his season high, as the LA Lakers trounced the Toronto Raptors, 121-101, at Air Canada Centre.

Bryant added seven rebounds and dished out five assists for the Lakers, who have won two of their last three games. It was their second game on a season- high nine-game road trip that opened Thursday with a loss at Detroit.

Sasha Vujacic tied a season-best effort with 22 points, while Jordan Farmar added 13 off the bench.

The win also came just hours after the Lakers acquired forward-center Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for center Kwame Brown, guards Javaris Crittenton and Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Marc Gasol and first round picks in 2008 and 2010.

Gasol has career averages of 18.8 points and 8.6 rebounds, and was an All- Star in 2006. He also captured the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 2001-02.

"This is a situation that helps both teams," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson. "Pau Gasol gives us scoring help while Andrew Bynum is out. It gives us a post-up threat and he's a good passer. We didn't want to trade brother-for- brother, but when Andrew Bynum comes back I would like to put them together. I would hope and love to have him (Gasol) Sunday, but he has to go to Los Angeles tomorrow for a physical."

Andrea Bargnani scored a team-high 28 points for Toronto, which has dropped two of three. Chris Bosh added 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Jose Calderon poured in 17 points and dished out five assists.

Up by six entering the fourth quarter, LA put the game out of reach with steady offensive pressure. The Lakers scored on nearly every trip down the floor, starting with a Bryant jumper and ending on a Ronny Turiaf reverse layup that made it 104-89 with 6:42 remaining.

Toronto never threatened the rest of the way, getting only as close as 12 on a Bargnani trey just 58 seconds later.

The Lakers were up 26-23 at the end of the first quarter, and built an eight- point lead, 38-30, on a Vujacic driving layup midway through the second.

The Raptors eventually pulled within two, 51-49, on a Bosh turnaround hook shot with just 44 seconds remaining, but a Derek Fisher fade away jumper at the other end, coupled with a Vujacic three-ball, sent the Lakers to the intermission with a 56-51 edge.

The visitors expanded that lead to double digits, 74-64, on a Bryant driving dunk at 6:06 of the third, but Toronto responded with a 10-3 run to pull within 77-75.

Los Angeles, though, ended on a 6-2 spurt and led, 83-77, heading to the fourth.