LOS ANGELES (AP)—No Kobe, still no problem for the Los Angeles Lakers..

Pau Gasol(notes) had 21 points, 19 rebounds, eight assists and five blocked shots.

to lead five players in double figures, and Los Angeles beat the San Antonio.

Spurs 101-89 Monday night as Bryant missed his second consecutive game with a.

sore left ankle..

Andrew Bynum(notes) sat out with a bruised right hip..

In their absences, the Lakers used a collective effort to win in their final.

home game before this weekend’s All-Star break. Ron Artest(notes) added 18 points,.

Lamar Odom(notes) 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Jordan Farmar(notes) and Derek Fisher(notes) had 13.

each..

Los Angeles Lakers center Pau … .

AP - Feb 9, 2:01 am EST .

Los Angeles Lakers guard Jorda… .

AP - Feb 9, 2:00 am EST .

Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron… .

AP - Feb 9, 2:00 am EST .

Los Angeles Lakers guard Shann… .

AP - Feb 9, 2:00 am EST .

Los Angeles Lakers center Pau … .

AP - Feb 9, 1:59 am EST .

San Antonio Spurs center Tim D… .

AP - Feb 9, 12:36 am EST .

Los Angeles Lakers guard Shann… .

AP - Feb 9, 12:35 am EST .

San Antonio Spurs guard Manu G… .

AP - Feb 9, 12:35 am EST .

San Antonio Spurs forward Rich… .

AP - Feb 9, 12:35 am EST .

San Antonio Spurs guard Tony P… .

AP - Feb 9, 12:34 am EST .

Los Angeles Lakers forward Lam… .

AP - Feb 9, 12:23 am EST .

1 of 11.

SA-LAL Gallery.

“It’s got to be reassuring for the rest of the team and for the guys that.

don’t play that much that are now stepping up,” Gasol said. “It was fun. It.

was a good challenge for us. We played hard and got a nice win.”.

Manu Ginobili(notes) scored 21 points, Tony Parker(notes) 20, Tim Duncan(notes) had 16 points and.

15 rebounds and Antonio McDyess(notes) 12 rebounds for the Spurs, who have lost four in.

a row to the Lakers at Staples Center..

“We knew they were going to come hard and going to play hard,” Parker.

said. “Especially with Kobe out, you’re going to have guys who are going to.

step up and that’s what they did.”.

Los Angeles again showed it could win without Bryant. The Lakers snapped a.

five-year losing streak at Portland with a victory Saturday, when Bryant ended.

his streak of 235 consecutive games played and Bynum missed the second half..

Bryant said he skipped another game because he can’t push off on his left.

foot..

“I can’t move to play. Can’t go,” he said, adding he would be a game-time.

decision Wednesday at Utah. “If I’m ready to go, I’ll play.”.

Lakers trainer Gary Vitti would like Bryant to rest through All-Star weekend.

in Dallas. Bryant said he couldn’t commit either way at this point..

“I don’t know what it’s going to look like on Sunday. I’m not.

clairvoyant,” he said, laughing. “I’m not an idiot. If it’s an injury where I.

feel like I can play through it and have it heal while I’m playing, then I’ll.

play. But if it’s the type of injury where it’s going to get worse when I play,.

then I won’t.”.

The Lakers extended their lead to 81-70 early in the fourth, equaling their.

largest lead to that point, capped by Shannon Brown’s(notes) 3-pointer..

Mostly though, the final period was a messy affair, with the Spurs throwing.

the ball away on three occasions and the Lakers stumbling through a cold stretch.

after their strong start..

But they regrouped and ended the game on a 17-11 run after going 4 1/2 minutes.

without a field goal..

“We finished relatively well for a game that seemed to be a struggle,”.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “I don’t think we’re playing that well, but we.

are winning the games. We settle in and play good defense. We can shoot the ball.

better than we are doing.”.

Los Angeles led 68-57 on a 14-4 run in the third. Gasol scored seven in a.

row and Odom had three. But the Spurs closed the quarter with an 11-5 spurt,.

capped by Ginobili’s 3-pointer, to trail 73-68 going into the fourth..

“The Lakers were obviously a little shorthanded and played mentally tougher.

than we did and physically tougher than we did,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

said. “Don’t ask me why.”.

Luke Walton(notes), Sasha Vujacic(notes), Farmar and Josh Powell(notes) started the second.

quarter for the Lakers along with Gasol. The youngsters’ energy paid off as the.

Lakers scored the first seven points to take their first lead since early in the.

game..

The Lakers made 5 of 6 free throws to end the half ahead 50-47..

The Spurs raced to a 9-0 lead to open the game before Artest sparked the.

Lakers’ offense with consecutive 3-pointers. Parker scored 12 of his 15.

first-half points in the opening quarter when he wasn’t dishing off in traffic..

Notes: The Lakers improved to 55-33 without Bryant in the lineup. However,.

they’re 19-23 in 42 games without him since the 2003-04 season. … The Lakers.

tied the season series 1-1, having lost 105-85 at San Antonio on Jan. 12. ….

The oft-injured Spurs were completely healthy. … They fell to 10-11 on the.

road.

Info Resource

'Canes agree with former Irish D Lawson (AP)

$26M fraud award against Golisano upheld (AP)

Pens GM backs Crosby on Letterman snub (AP)

RW Kugryshev signs 3-year deal with Caps (AP)

Capitals C Aucoin signs 2-year extension (AP)

Sens acquire C Cullen from Hurricanes (AP)

Canucks lose Salo, call up Baumgartner (AP)

Blues D Jackman placed on IR (AP)

Capitals G Johnson out up to 2 months (AP)

Red Wings' Conklin defeats Kings 4-0 (AP)

Virginia Beach, VA

Zip (US only):

Wed:

49/72ºF Showers Late

Thu:

52/61ºF Showers