Lakers are pointing to the next challenge

When the Lakers check the NBA standings this morning, they’ll find themselves at 19-10 and just behind the Phoenix Suns in the Pacific Division.

Which is exactly where they were after 29 games last season. And we know how that worked out -- the Lakers were seven games under .500 the rest of the way, struggled to make the playoffs and then got bounced by the Suns in the first round.

But that’s not about to happen this year, the Lakers have been telling anyone willing to listen. This is a different team, they say. And for those a little hard of hearing, the Lakers drove their point home on the floor Friday, hammering the Utah Jazz, 123-109, at Staples Center in a game that was decided before halftime.

“It’s a year [more] experience for our young players,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. “It’s given them an opportunity to perform. And our bench is playing better than our bench played last year.”

The Lakers, winners of four straight and nine of 11, will find out just how much better they’ve become Sunday night when they play host to the Boston Celtics, the NBA’s best team through the first third of the season.

“It’s a game that you obviously pointed to on the schedule,” said Jackson, who tied legendary Celtics coach Red Auerbach for seventh place on the all-time win list with 938. “You get an opportunity to challenge ourselves against this team. It’s a very good team.”

The Lakers’ fans appeared ready Friday, breaking into a chant of “We want Boston” midway through the third quarter.

And you can consider the inconsistent Jazz convinced too: A month ago they blew the Lakers out in Salt Lake City. On Friday, they were never in the game.

With Kobe Bryant scoring 21 points and the team shooting nearly 58%, the Lakers piled up a season-high 75 first-half points, taking a 27-point lead. By the end of three quarter, the margin had grown to 106-74, allowing Jackson to empty his bench for the fourth quarter.

Bryant finished with a game-high 31 points, making six of nine three-pointers. But he also had seven assists despite playing only 29 minutes, setting the tone for an unselfish effort that saw all five starters score in double figures for the sixth time this season.

The Lakers are unbeaten in those six games.

“Kobe is in such a mode now. He just trusts all his teammates,” said Kwame Brown, who scored seven points in 17 minutes in his first game in five weeks. “He’s going to give guys opportunities to catch and finish.”

Of the first half, Brown added: “It was the best two quarters I’ve seen us play. Especially defensively.”

But just as impressive was the fact the Lakers, despite resting their regulars through much of the second half, played Utah even on the boards and racked up assists on 34 of their 43 field goals on the night.

In fact, just about the only negative was Sasha Vujacic’s left ankle, which he strained in the fourth quarter. Vujacic, who scored six points in 13 minutes, will be examined by doctors this morning.

After which the Lakers will set their sights on Boston.

“We’re just going to come out and do what we do,” Bryant said. “Come out and execute offensively and defensively and see if we can win a ballgame.”

--

kevin.baxter@latimes.com