The Lakers never trailed in the opener of a five-game homestand, making 14 of 21 shots in the first quarter and bolting to a 35-20 lead.

Anthony had a miserable first half — shooting 4-for-13 and committing three turnovers in a 2:47 span. The Lakers used a 20-6 run to increase a 13-point lead to 59-32 with 4:26 left in the second quarter.

The Nuggets had one brief competitive stretch at the start of the third quarter, slicing a 20-point halftime deficit to 71-60 with a 13-4 run capped by Dahntay Jones’ layup with 6:53 left in the period.

But the Lakers responded with a 14-2 surge capped by Bryant’s 17-foot running jumper with 2:18 left in the quarter. Denver got no closer than 14 points on a 3-pointer by Smith with 4:40 to play.

“Kobe’s energy was great tonight. They got their interior game going at the end of the first half, but at that time we were 27 points ahead at the time they got their momentum,” Jackson said. “They’re a big momentum team, but we were able to keep him to that and not go too long without a score — although we started that third quarter rather dismally.”

Bryant, who won back-to-back scoring titles immediately preceding last season’s MVP campaign, has reached the 30-point mark only once this season. That was on Nov. 1 at Denver, when he had 33 to help beat the Nuggets 104-97 in their final game with Iverson.

The Nuggets have lost nine straight meetings with the Lakers, who swept them in the first round of the playoffs, and have lost 16 of 18 regular-season games at Staples Center since the building opened nine years ago.

Notes: Bryant shot a 30-foot airball with 1:41 left in the third quarter and the Lakers leading 85-63. ... Billups was MVP of the Finals in 2004 against the Lakers, averaging 21 points while Detroit won the series in five games. ... The Nuggets are 7-2 with Billups in the lineup, and the Pistons are the only team that has beaten the Lakers. ... No Denver player has scored 30 or more points through the team’s first 13 games. It’s the team’s longest such streak at the start of a season since 2002-03, when they went 27 games before Juwan Howard had 30 against the Clippers in Los Angeles.

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