Halftime: Lakers 59, Wizards 33

Playing for the first time since center Andrew Bynum suffered a strained left Achilles tendon, the Lakers picked apart the Washington Wizards in the first half tonight. Or, more to the point, Kobe Bryant picked apart the Wizards. He scored 22 points on 9-for-17 shooting, which would be a pretty good game for some players. He scored 20 on 8-for-11 shooting in the second quarter. He still has the second half to play, although with the lopsided score it's not clear how much he will play. Pau Gasol added 14 points and six rebounds, moving from power forward to center in place of Bynum. The Lakers shot 23 for 40 in the first half (57.5 percent).