Lakers drub Warriors to remain unbeaten
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Los Angeles Lakers All-Stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol helped the two-time defending National Basketball Association champions breeze to a 3-0 start to the season with a one-sided 107-83 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.
Spanish center Gasol paced the team with 26 points and 12 rebounds while Bryant recorded 20 points and seven rebounds in just 27 minutes of work.
"It feels good (to rest down the stretch). That means we're taking care of business," Bryant told reporters. "We're playing well, the pieces we have complement each other and we're just going to keep it rolling."
Elsewhere in the NBA, it was: Heat 101, Nets 78; Mavericks 99, Clippers 83; and Jazz 120, Thunder 99.
In Los Angeles, the Lakers got off to a fast start, outscoring the Warriors 34-14 in the first quarter, and cruised to their 10th straight win against Golden State, which last defeated Los Angeles in March 2008.
Lamar Odom scored 11 of his 16 points in the opening quarter and also chipped in 14 rebounds to continue his strong start after spending the summer helping the United States win a gold medal at the FIBA World Championships.
Monta Ellis scored a team-high 20 points for the Warriors (2-1) who had begun the year with two wins but were without sharp-shooting guard Stephen Curry who missed the game with an ankle injury.
Curry averaged 17.5 points per game last season to finish runner-up for the Rookie of the Year Award, but he has been slowed by an ankle ailment since the preseason.
In his absence, Golden State shot just 40 percent from the field and was outrebounded 55-42.
In their quest for a third straight NBA title, the Lakers have leaned on Gasol early in the campaign while Bryant works his way back from offseason knee surgery and center Andrew Bynum sits out after his own knee procedure.
"Probably (this is the best start I've had in my career)," said Gasol, who has led the team in scoring in two of the three games. "I try not to look at numbers. I'm happy with us playing well and we'll try to continue."
In Newark, New Jersey, LeBron James scored 20 points, and Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade were close behind as the Heat ended the Nets' two-game unbeaten start.
Bosh finished with 18 points and Wade added 17, both getting most of them in Miami's dominant first half before sitting out the fourth quarter. James played a little of the final period and added seven rebounds and seven assists.
It was the most impressive offensive performance yet for the Heat, who have won three straight since beginning their new era with a loss in Boston on opening night. Miami shot 68 percent in the first half, when its Big Three combined for 41 points - one fewer than New Jersey.
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