Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES — Derek Fisher tossed home a 3-pointer from the corner just before the buzzer, then turned and locked eyes with his wife in the stands to share the little moment.

It was that kind of night for the Lakers. They did pretty much everything well and got to enjoy an easy victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday night.

Fisher’s 3-pointer only beat the first-half buzzer, but the Lakers were in complete control then with a 13-point lead and thereafter. Kobe Bryant continued his scoring rampage with Andrew Bynum (elbow) missing his second consecutive game, pouring in 26 first-half points. Bryant finished with 28, shooting 11 for 21 from the field.

DJ Mbenga, starting at center because Bynum and Pau Gasol (hamstring) are hurt, had another effective outing. He had 10 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks, one steal and no turnovers. It was his first career double-double for the fifth-year pro.

Hornets point guard Chris Paul never found a rhythm against an aggressive Lakers defense. He scored nine of his 15 points from the foul line and still managed nine assists. Lakers backup point guard Shannon Brown matched Paul with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

It was an interesting night for the Lakers, who rode Bryant’s dominance but then had Mbenga, Brown and Luke Walton as the only Bryant teammates in double-figure scoring. Lamar Odom (nine rebounds, six assists) and Ron Artest (eight rebounds, seven assists) were effective in facilitating the Lakers’ attack.

The Lakers improved to 6-1 this season and are tied with Phoenix for the Pacific Division and Western Conference lead. The Suns come to town Thursday night, when the Lakers hope at least Bynum might be back on the floor.

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