So much for the theory that Pau Gasol would be rusty after missing the first 11 games of the season with a hamstring injury.

The Spaniard came back Thursday night and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat, scoring 24 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in 35 minutes of work.

Before the game, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he thought Gasol would play about 25 minutes, but it could be more or less depending on how he handled the workload. While Gasol looked a bit winded at times, he played very well.

Other news of the night:

–Kobe Bryant moving to second on the all-time Lakers scoring list, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the second half.

–Andrew Bynum playing only 24 minutes with Gasol’s return. He finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.

–Lakers move to 9-3 on the season.