Dwight Howard scored 28 points, Kobe Bryant had 15 points and eight assists, and the Lakers finally got their first victory of the season, 108-79 over the winless Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.
Metta World Peace scored 18 points for the Lakers, who went 0-8 in the preseason and started the regular season 0-3 for just the fourth time in franchise history despite adding Howard and Steve Nash over the summer.
After their worst start to a season in 34 years, the Lakers occasionally resembled the powerhouse most expected to see this season — even without Nash, who missed his second game with a small fracture in his leg. Los Angeles took a 28-point lead in the first half and stretched it to 36 points in the third quarter, with Howard dominating the paint and Bryant slipping easily into a playmaking role in Nash’s absence.
Howard excelled in the paint against Greg Monroe, hitting 12 of 14 shots — most of them right at the rim — and grabbing seven rebounds with just one foul.
Information from Espn.com contributed to this report.