LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant never even emerged from the Los Angeles Lakers' locker room, slowed by his sprained ankle and leveled by an apparent case of the flu.

The Lakers didn't seem to miss him much in rolling to another win in what's turning into an interesting second half of the season.

Antawn Jamison scored 27 points, Metta World Peace had 22, and the Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings 113-102 Sunday night for their sixth victory in seven games.

With Bryant missing his first game of the season to rest his sprained left ankle, the Lakers tightened their resolve and their rotation. Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni used just seven players.

The Lakers (36-32) pulled away in the fourth quarter, stayed a game ahead of Utah (34-32) for eighth place in the West and moved a half-game behind Houston (36-31).

"We're just not making any excuses," Jamison said. "We just looked ourselves in the mirror and said, 'It's up to us to turn this thing around.' And I think we've been doing that since the All-Star break. We're finally playing the way we're capable of playing."

Former Husky Isaiah Thomas scored 26 points and Patrick Patterson had 22 for the Kings, who have lost 12 of 13 on the road. The Kings played without DeMarcus Cousins (quadriceps).

SACRAMENTO		fg	ft
min		m-a	m-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
Salmons	30:28	1-7	0-0	0-0	5	3	3
Patterson	36:01	9-12	2-2	3-5	0	2	22
Thompson	24:48	2-8	0-0	0-7	0	5	4
Thomas	34:19	9-20	5-5	0-1	6	3	26
Evans	41:44	6-19	0-0	0-5	7	2	13
Hayes	28:21	4-5	0-0	2-7	1	4	8
Thornton	20:49	6-15	1-1	1-3	1	2	15
Douglas	16:40	5-10	0-0	1-4	1	0	11
Aldrich	6:50	0-0	0-0	0-1	0	1	0
Totals		42-96	8-8	7-33	21	22	102

Percentages: FG .438, FT 1.000. Three-point goals: 10-31, .323 (Thomas 3-10, Patterson 2-2, Thornton 2-6, Salmons 1-3, Douglas 1-4, Evans 1-6). Team rebounds: 10. Team turnovers: 6 (3 PTS). Blocked shots: 3 (Aldrich, Douglas, Evans). Turnovers: 5 (Aldrich, Evans, Thomas, Thompson, Thornton). Steals: 7 (Evans 3, Douglas 2, Thomas, Thompson). Technical fouls: Defensive three second, 6:07 first.

L.A. LAKERS		fg	ft
min		m-a	m-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
World Peace	39:56	10-13	1-1	0-0	4	2	22
Clark	27:00	4-10	3-4	0-8	2	1	11
Howard	40:32	4-6	4-10	3-17	1	2	12
Nash	35:04	7-12	4-4	0-4	12	2	19
Meeks	28:08	2-6	1-2	0-0	0	2	6
Jamison	34:47	8-14	6-8	1-9	1	1	27
Blake	34:34	6-11	0-0	2-5	8	2	16
Totals		41-72	19-29	6-43	28	12	113

Percentages: FG .569, FT .655. Three-point goals: 12-28, .429 (Jamison 5-8, Blake 4-7, Nash 1-2, World Peace 1-3, Meeks 1-5, Clark 0-3). Team rebounds: 9. Team turnovers: 15 (17 PTS). Blocked shots: 7 (Howard 5, Clark, World Peace). Turnovers: 13 (Blake 4, Nash 3, Clark 2, Howard 2, Meeks, World Peace). Steals: 2 (Blake, Meeks). Technical fouls: Defensive three second, 3:27 first.

Sacramento	27	29	20	26 — 102
L.A. Lakers	33	23	30	27 — 113

Attendance: 18,997 (18,997). Time: 2:12. Officials: Mike Callahan, JT Orr, Sean Wright.