Halftime: Lakers 49, Kings 48

SACRAMENTO — The Lakers were great when they tossed the ball into the paint and let Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol do their stuff against the Sacramento Kings in the first half tonight. When they didn’t, when they tried to run up and down and play a frenetic pace, they weren’t very good. The Lakers led by as many as 13 points in the first half, then settled for a one-point lead at halftime. Kobe Bryant had 18 points, five rebounds and three assists, Bynum had 17 points and nine rebounds and Gasol scored 11 points. The Western Conference-leading Lakers sought their second victory in as many nights and their fourth overall.