LAKERS ARE MAKING THEIR MOVE L.A. TAKES OVER NO. 7 SPOT IN WEST WITH VICTORY OVER WARRIORS LAKERS 111, G. STATE 100.

Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer

Only six months ago, the Lakers and Golden State Warriors convened for training camp on the island of Oahu and met for two exhibition games in Honolulu. They arrived with similar aspirations after finishing with identical 34-48 records last season.

It was all too apparent by the end of the Lakers' 111-100 blowout victory Tuesday night at Staples Center that they couldn't have gone in more different directions had they tried.

The Lakers' return to the playoffs after a season away is a mere formality, while the Warriors will miss the playoffs for a 12th consecutive season, the second-longest streak in NBA history. Golden State also suffered its ninth straight loss.

Kobe Bryant scored 31 points - 30 in the first half - Lamar Odom had his first triple-double since coming to the Lakers (15 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists) and Kwame Brown finished with 15 points and a season-high 15 rebounds.

The Lakers (42-37) took sole possession of seventh in the Western Conference standings as Phoenix

rallied from 17 points down to beat Sacramento 123-110. The Lakers moved a game ahead of the Kings with three more home games to play.

Odom's triple-double

was his first in 141 games since coming to the Lakers in the Shaquille O'Neal trade. That he put up the numbers to get it in only three quarters was all the more impressive.

The Lakers outscored the Warriors 25-5 in the last three minutes of the first half and first three minutes of the second half. If one play summed up the night, it came as Bryant drove for a layup at the first-half buzzer and not one Warriors player rotated to help on defense.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson elected to start forward Luke Walton for the second consecutive game and match up Odom against a power forward. So Odom was assigned to Golden State's Troy Murphy, two nights after he defended Elton Brand.

Jackson also was trying to solve Odom's puzzle of bad games against the Warriors. He had 27 points and hit a game-winning shot against Golden State last January but had been held to single-digit scoring in three games against the Warriors this season.

Included in the list was a two-point, 1-of-8 shooting game for Odom in Oakland on Jan. 14. That night was a distant memory Tuesday as Odom recorded the ninth triple-double of his career.

The season flashed before the Lakers' eyes with 2:29 left in the second quarter when Bryant drove the lane and went crashing to the floor clutching his injured left shin.

Bryant was tended to by trainer Gary Vitti during a timeout and stayed in the game.

Bryant was kicked in the shin in the final minute of Friday's game against Phoenix.

But the Lakers closed out the first half Tuesday on a 12-2 run after Bryant's momentary scare and took a 62-56 lead into halftime.

Bryant had 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting by halftime, drilling catch- and-shoot jumpers one after another over rookie Monta Ellis throughout his 19-point second quarter. He played only 34 minutes, his shortest night of work in two months.

Odom made two nice plays as the Lakers took a 75-59 lead in the first three minutes of the second half. He had an acrobatic tip in of a Luke Walton miss and swished a 3-pointer. Parker (18 points) also hit two 3- pointers in the 13-3 run.

Odom also swept around Andris Biedrins for a reverse layup at the end of the third quarter that had Bryant out of his seat on the bench. The Lakers led by as many as 24 points.

The Lakers will clinch a playoff spot with any combination of two victories and/or losses by ninth-place Utah.

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) The Lakers' Kobe Bryant goes to the hoop for a basket as Golden State center Adonal Foyle defends Tuesday.

(2) The Lakers' Smush Parker dunks the ball over Golden State's Mike Dunleavy during the first half of Tuesday's game.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer