Lakers are back at full power with Pau

Times change, as do people and, eventually, dynasties, but the Lakers won't be losing a season series to the Clippers, yet again.

Pau Gasol officially ended Hamstring Watch (Part 2), Andrew Bynum continued to rumble, and Kobe Bryant's back looked just fine in a 126-86 Lakers victory Friday at Staples Center.

What was a game for one half turned into a laugher in the other, the Lakers riding 30 points from Bryant and 20 each from Bynum and Gasol to win with ease.

It was the Lakers' second-largest margin of victory over the Clippers' franchise, narrowly topping a 38-point victory in 2009 and a 37-point victory in 2008 but still shy of a 46-point drubbing in 1979.

Along those lines, the Lakers haven't lost a season series to the Clippers since 1993 and are 2-1 against them this season. The teams don't play again until the April 14 regular-season finale.

Bryant no longer played as if on a tightrope, Gasol successfully ended his second stint on the injured list because of a strained hamstring and Bynum played as if Gasol were still sidelined, making eight of 13 shots and taking seven rebounds in 28 minutes.

Clippers owner Donald Sterling had seen enough with 2:54 to play, walking off the court with the Lakers ahead, 115-79.

A three-point halftime edge somehow exploded into a 40-point victory.

"Pretty hard to imagine that," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.

The Clippers were fine in the first half, hanging with the Lakers despite no Blake Griffin and no Chris Kaman, who missed his third consecutive game because of a sore lower back.

Baron Davis had 11 points and five assists to keep the Clippers within 53-50 at the half.

But Davis had only three points in the third and the Clippers crumbled, as did Davis with 3:06 left in the quarter and the Lakers ahead, 80-60.

Davis swung an elbow while being trapped by Gasol and Derek Fisher in the corner, hitting Gasol squarely on the right shoulder. Davis was called for an offensive foul, then turned to Fisher and started jawing at him before Bryant intervened.

"I just felt there were too many slaps," Davis said. "I got slapped in my face a couple of times, the play before that. They just kept slapping me in the corner. What else was I supposed to do? Stand there and get slapped?"

Davis and Fisher were each called for a technical foul and Davis ended up being assessed a flagrant foul 1, leading to two free throws and possession of the ball for the Lakers.

The league will review the play this morning, as is the custom whenever a flagrant foul is assessed.

The whole quarter was worth reviewing in the Lakers' eyes, specifically their push to outscore the Clippers. Bryant and Gasol each had 12 points. The Clippers had no answer.

After a long hiatus from tossing rocks at the down-the-hall neighbors, Jackson lobbed some barbs at the Clippers' owner before the game.

In the wake of the Griffin season-ending injury news, Jackson was asked whether he believed in curses or hexes -- the suggestive question being whether the Clippers were, uh, cursed or hexed.

"I'm of that generation that believed in karma," Jackson said.

"If you do a good mitzvah, maybe you can eliminate some of those things. Do you think that Sterling's done enough mitzvahs to eliminate some of those? How about all those other incidents that we have on file?"

Jackson was referring to a housing-discrimination lawsuit Sterling settled two months ago by paying $2.7 million without legally admitting guilt.

Dangerous liaisons await the Lakers over the next couple of weeks, including a home game Monday against Orlando followed by an eight-game trip starting Thursday in Cleveland.