The Los Angeles Lakers did their best to celebrate Coach Phil Jackson’s two-year contract extension with a win and the Denver Nuggets were those who suffered the defeat. With Kobe Bryant in a good shape and Sasha Vujacic dominant with his perimeter shooting in the fourth quarter the Lakers neat the Nuggets 99-127 a the Staples Center.

Bryant finished with 24 points and played just three quarters. During the fourth Vujacic took the leading role and scored 19 of his career-high 22 points to push the Lakers to victory over the Nuggets just four hours after coach Phil Jackson received his extension.

"I was having fun, but it's not just because of the 22 points I scored. It's my teammates. They gave me open looks and believed in me,'' said Vujacic, who finished his 21 minutes of work with a 6-for-14 shooting.

Andrew Bynum also had a good night with 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Luke Walton was great as he recorded a career-high 14 points in 27 minutes of action. Lamar Odom missed his first nine shots but then went on to hit five in a row as he fueled a key stretch. He finished with 12 points.

The Lakers’ second unit that played so efficiently down the stretch made a spectator out of Bryant, who despite the fact that LA began the fourth quarter with only six point in front, he wasn’t put to actions.

"The young fellas came in and took care of business,'' Bryant said.

"We have young players who have a lot of heart and who care. And when you have that combination, you have a lot of potential," he added.

The Lakers' reserves outscored their Denver counterparts 63-29.

The Nuggets scored first in the fourth quarter through J.R. Smith’s lay up, but then the Lakers then went on a 24-8 run to widen the margin to 105-85.

Other NBA results:

Golden State Warriors 113, Houston Rockets 94
Boston Celtics 104, New York Knicks 59.