Lakers hold off Kings, 106-99

Reporting from Sacramento — 

It looked like the Lakers never hopped on a charter bus and headed 90 miles northeast.

Strangely, they seemed to be stranded in Oakland, finding themselves in another up-tempo game against another rookie guard who might be the best of the first-year players.

Tyreke Evans was the one harassing the Lakers on Tuesday, not Stephen Curry, pushing the visitors to another problem area in another road game against another well-below-.500 team.

This time, the Lakers didn’t wait for the last minute to exhale, beating back the Sacramento Kings after a ragged first half, 106-99, at Arco Arena.

Kobe Bryant had 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, settling down after a shot-happy start. Andrew Bynum continued to roll, collecting 21 points and  12 rebounds, and Pau Gasol had 28 points and 12 rebounds.

If Bryant had one more rebound, the Lakers would have had three players with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds for the first time since a fairly capable trio did it against Phoenix in December 1984 ( Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy).

“We’re playing with the right energy to win games,” Bryant said. “That’s kind of what I wanted to see, just start playing with a heightened sense of things. Guys understand that we can be beat. Once you understand that ... guys become a little bit more focused.”

Gasol had 17 points on seven-for-eight shooting in the second half. He then pointed to a speech by Derek Fisher at halftime of a listless game against Toronto eight days ago. The Lakers won that one, barely, and haven’t lost since Fisher lit into the team.

“When a veteran like Fisher speaks, you listen,” said Gasol.

The Lakers (50-18) suddenly aren’t such a road liability, winning three consecutive away from Staples Center after losing four in a row on the road.

And they have a new motto: win 60 games this season.

They have two eminently winnable home games (Minnesota and Washington are a combined 35-99) before hitting the road for their last long trip of the regular season, a five-gamer that could be an early indicator of things to come when the games really count: San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Houston, New Orleans and Atlanta.

The trip will “tell us whether we’re going to reach that 60-win mark or not,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.

The Lakers have won eight of their last nine against the Kings (23-45), though the first two this season were anything but easy, the Lakers needing double overtime to win in December and Bryant’s three-pointer at the buzzer to win in January.

A night after Curry blistered them for 29 points and nine assists, Evans had 25 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists but cooled after a frenetic first half and made only seven of 19 shots.

The first half Tuesday was fast and furious, the Lakers taking a 13-point lead on the strength of several Bynum dunks. But then the reserves couldn’t hold the lead and the Lakers barely led, 49-48, even though Bynum was close to a double-double after two quarters (17 points, nine rebounds).

Bynum had four dunks and a layup in the first quarter and showed versatility later, making a 13-footer.

A quick recap of his last few games: 19 points and 14 rebounds against Golden State, 18 points and nine rebounds against Phoenix, 22 points and six rebounds against Toronto.

Not a bad week’s worth of work for the 22-year-old.

“I think we’ve found a better idea what and how to use ‘Drew inside,” Jackson said. “He’s got a resurgence after he hurt his hip. He had a bad knee bruise. He had a couple things physically that kept him from having the power that he likes to have in the post. Tonight was an exhibition by him and Pau that showed the strength of our team.”

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

twitter.com/Mike_Bresnahan