Bryant's 31 leads Lakers past Grizzlies

The Lakers avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season, taking the lead for good seven minutes into the game.

Memphis, 3-24 on the road, kept it relatively close until the Lakers pulled away from a 54-51 lead early in the third quarter. They were up 78-67 by the end of the period and remained comfortably ahead in the fourth quarter.

Lakers center Pau Gasol, matched in the middle against younger brother Marc, had 13 points and eight rebounds. Derek Fisher added 11 points for Los Angeles.

Lamar Odom was only 1-of-8 from the floor and scored just two points for Los Angeles, but posted some other impressive numbers: 13 rebounds, eight assists and six blocks.

Bryant was 12-of-23 from the line and sat out the fourth quarter while the Lakers went mostly with reserves.

Marc Gasol, 24 and four years younger than Pau, had 17 points and 14 rebounds for Memphis. O.J. Mayo scored 17. Los Angeles was up by 15 early in the second quarter, but the Grizzlies chipped away and closed to within 52-47 on Marc Gasol's two free throws after his brother fouled him 4 seconds before halftime.

Bryant had 19 points by halftime, but was the lone Laker in double figures. Marc Gasol had 11 points, nine rebounds and three assists for Memphis by the break. With the Lakers trailing 17-16 with five minutes left in the frst quarter, Bryant pulled up and made an 11-footer, fed Pau Gasol for a dunk, hit a 16-footer, then added a 3. That ignited Los Angeles, and the Lakers went on to finish a 16-2 string that put them up 32-19 at the end of the period.

The Grizzlies are 1-21 this season in games when they've failed to score at last 20 points in the frst quarter.