Cousins leads Sacramento past Lakers again

Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant, below, shoots as Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016, in Los Angeles. AP

LOS ANGELES, California—DeMarcus Cousins had 36 points and 16 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo added 11 points and 17 assists in the Sacramento Kings’ sixth consecutive victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, 112-93 Wednesday night.

Rudy Gay scored 16 points for the Kings, who have won three straight and six of nine. Cousins continued his tear through 2016 with another brutally effective performance, scoring at least 29 points for the eighth time in the Kings’ nine games in January.

Kobe Bryant scored just two of his 15 points after halftime and Brandon Bass had a season-high 18 for the Lakers, who have lost four straight and eight of nine to drop to 9-35.

The Kings never trailed in their third win over the Lakers this season, controlling the game in the same building where they ended the Clippers’ 10-game winning streak four days earlier.

Sacramento has won three straight road games for the first time in its up-and-down season.

The Lakers kept it close until Cousins led Sacramento on a 13-0 run midway through the fourth quarter of a game between two of the NBA’s three worst defensive teams. Cousins scored 10 points in the fourth quarter as the Kings finished on a 21-6 run.

Lou Williams scored 15 points for the Lakers, who have their seventh losing streak of at least four games this season.

Bryant appeared in his 36th game of the season, surpassing his 35 total appearances last season. The third-leading scorer in NBA history seemed comfortable on his sore right Achilles tendon, and his sore right shoulder didn’t give him any obvious trouble. The 20-year veteran was playing in his fifth straight game over nine days after sitting out four of the Lakers’ previous six, missing all four at home.