Recap: LA Clippers vs. LA Lakers

Luke Walton scored 18 points as the Los Angeles Lakers routed the Los Angeles Clippers, 106-78, at the Staples Center.

Kobe Bryant added 16 points for the Lakers, who finished a perfect 4-0 against the Clippers this season and extended their lead in the Pacific Division to one full game over the idle Phoenix Suns. The Lakers are also just 1 1/2 games behind New Orleans for the top spot in the Western Conference.

Lamar Odom chipped in with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Pau Gasol had 13 points.

"We made shots finally although we started slowly," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "Our defense stepped it up."

Elton Brand scored 23 points and had seven rebounds for the Clippers, who have lost four in a row and 15 of their last 17 games. Rookie Al Thornton added 22 points and 10 boards in the loss.

"Tonight was the story of how things have gone for us," said Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy. "We played hard but made mistakes."

The Lakers held a slim 27-25 lead after the opening 12 minutes and started to pull away with an excellent defensive second quarter. The Lakers allowed just 17 points in the frame and took a 51-42 edge into the locker room.

The Lakers continued to play frontrunner through three quarters and led 73-61 heading to the final frame.

The Lakers then really put things away by opening the fourth with a 19-5 run. Walton had a pair of layups in the spurt and then finished it by stroking consecutive threes to make it a 92-66 game with 7:21 on the clock.

The Lakers kept running away from there. Walton dropped in another three with a little more than five minutes to go and just over a minute later D.J. Mbenga nailed a jumper to make it a 31-point game, 100-69.

The Lakers coasted to the finish line from there.

See more at www.miamiherald.com