LOS ANGELES — After a month of playing short-handed, the Los Angeles Lakers are back to full strength. If yesterday is an accurate indication, that means trouble for every other NBA team.

Kobe Bryant scored 22 points before sitting out the fourth quarter, Pau Gasol added 16 points, five rebounds and four assists, and the Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs, 99-85, in a matchup of the Western Conference's best teams that turned out to be a mismatch.

The win was the fourth straight and 14th in 17 games for the Lakers (35-8), whose .814 winning percentage is the best in the NBA although the defending champion Boston Celtics (37-9) lead them by a half-game in the overall standings by virtue of their 124-100 victory over Dallas earlier yesterday.

Backup point guard Jordan Farmar returned after missing 18 games because of an injured left knee, and scored 14 points. Luke Walton played in his third game after missing nine with an injured foot, and Lamar Odom (knee) and Sasha Vujacic (back spasms) were also sidelined for brief periods.

"We missed him a lot. He makes our second unit go, he's the motor," Bryant said of Farmar, who shot 5 of 7, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range. "Now that he's back, everybody falls into their natural positions and we are back clicking on all cylinders."

Reserve Trevor Ariza scored 17 points to match his season high and Andrew Bynum had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers. Gasol was the only Los Angeles starter to play in the final period.

"A lot. Big," coach Phil Jackson replied when asked how important Farmar's return was to the Lakers. "It helps us a lot. Jordan obviously has attributes — the speed and the quickness. Those are things that we missed, that tempo change in our game."

Farmar wasn't expected to play until tomorrow against Charlotte or during the Lakers' upcoming five-game road trip that begins Friday night in Minnesota.

"I've been feeling better for about a week now," he said. "I still had to go through a process to make sure I was OK. No pain, no swelling — it felt normal. I have been watching these guys play and I expect to be playing like this all the time. That's how I am; I work hard and I'm disappointed when it doesn't happen."

Jackson said before the game that Farmar was on the active list, but he wasn't sure he'd play the third-year pro.

"I was in his ear the whole time on the bench," Farmar said with a smile. "He would have had to deal with that the whole game."

CELTICS 124, MAVS 100

BOSTON — Ray Allen scored 20 of his 23 points in the first half when the Celtics opened a 27-point lead, and Eddie House added seven 3-pointers to help Boston beat Dallas for the Celtics' eighth straight win.

SUNS 104, HAWKS 99

ATLANTA — Amare Stoudemire scored 23 points, and Shaquille O'Neal had 19 points and 11 rebounds to help Phoenix snap a three-game losing streak.

RAPTORS 113, KINGS 97

TORONTO — Chris Bosh scored 31 points and Andrea Bargnani added 24 as Toronto beat Sacramento, handing the Kings their fifth straight loss.

ROCKETS 108, PISTONS 105

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Ron Artest scored three of his 24 points at the line in the final 14 seconds, helping Houston hold off Detroit. Artest and Tracy McGrady (15 points) returned to the lineup for the Rockets, who were without Yao Ming because of a knee injury.

PACERS 98, BOBCATS 93

INDIANAPOLIS — Danny Granger had 27 points to lead Indiana over Charlotte. T.J. Ford and Mike Dunleavy each scored 13, and Troy Murphy added 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Pacers, who won a season-high fifth consecutive home game.

TIMBERWOLVES 109, BULLS 108

MINNEAPOLIS — Al Jefferson scored a season-high 39 points to lead Minnesota to an overtime victory over Chicago, the Timberwolves' ninth win in 11 games.

NUGGETS 117, JAZZ 97

DENVER — Nene made all 12 of his shots and tied his career high with 28 points and J.R. Smith scored 13 of his 22 points in the first quarter, leading Denver past Utah.

WARRIORS 107, CLIPPERS 92

OAKLAND, Calif. — Corey Maggette scored 20 points against his former team as Golden State ended a two-game slide with a victory over Los Angeles. Anthony Morrow added 17 points and Kelenna Azubuike had 16 points for the Warriors.