Kobe nets 40 as Lakers maintain mastery of Warriors

Kobe Bryant scored 23 of his 40 points in the second half as the host Los Angeles Lakers recorded a 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. Pau Gasol had 18 of his 26 points in the second half and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Lakers fended off repeated rallies to beat the Warriors for the ninth consecutive time at Staples Center. Point guard Ramon Sessions had his best game as a Laker, scoring 23 points and handing out nine assists as Los Angeles sent Golden State to its fifth consecutive defeat. David Lee scored 27 points to lead six players in double figures for the Warriors, who battled back from a 15-point deficit with a stirring fourth-quarter rally, hitting 7 of 9 3-pointers. Klay Thompson scored 18 points and Nate Robinson added 17, including four 3-pointers in the fourth as Golden State got within one point and trailed 115-112 with 81 seconds left.