Lakers blow out Kings

When the Lakers were dismantled last summer, the Sacramento Kings thought their biggest rivalry was finished.

Turns out Kobe Bryant and his new teammates are ready to start it up again.

Bryant had 31 points and 12 assists, Lamar Odom scored 22 points and Los Angeles handed the Kings just their third loss in 17 games Thursday night in Sacramento Calif.

Chris Webber and Bobby Jackson scored 20 points apiece for the Kings, whose starters spent the final five minutes sitting on the bench in humiliated indignation.

Sacramento was exposed in just its second home loss of the season, with Los Angeles outscoring the Kings 37-22 in the third quarter of a game that wasn’t as close as the final score. Brad Miller managed just six points in 38 minutes, and Peja Stojakovic was ineffective despite getting 16 points.

From the cultural poles of California, Los Angeles and Sacramento battled atop the Pacific Division standings for the better part of a decade, trading verbal jabs and actual punches along with baskets in countless memorable games and playoff series.

But after the Lakers were revamped in the off-season to defuse the growing feud between Shaq and Kobe, Webber pronounced one of the NBA’s better rivalries dead — even though Vlade Divac, perhaps the most beloved player in Sacramento’s renaissance, defected back to Los Angeles for a $4.9 million contract.

Webber’s prediction seems a bit premature. Sacramento pulled out an entertaining 109-106 victory at Staples Center last month — and in the rematch, the Lakers handed the Kings their most embarrassing home defeat during coach Rick Adelman’s seven seasons.

Pistons 81, Cavaliers 69: At Auburn Hills, Mich., Richard Hamilton scored 21 points and Detroit held Cleveland to a six-point third quarter and almost held LeBron James scoreless in the second half.

It looked as if it might not be James’ night when he shot two airballs on a single possession in the first quarter. He finished with 11 points on 4-of-21 shooting, eight rebounds and seven assists.

After making a fadeaway jumper over Ben Wallace at the end of the first half, James didn’t score again until there was 2:12 left in the game.

Bulls 85, Bucks 77: At Chicago, Kirk Hinrich scored nine of his 28 points in a 15-0 run, and Chicago beat slump-ridden Milwaukee to win consecutively for the first time this season. Eddy Curry added 18 points for the Bulls. The Bucks have lost 13 of 16 games.