LOS ANGELES _ There was some poetry to what happened Wednesday night at Staples Center.
For years the Golden State Warriors had rolled over opponents while setting the standard for unselfish, pass-first basketball. They led the NBA in assists for the past five years, with a roster filled with superstars, anchored by Stephen Curry, who shares credit as willingly as he shares the basketball.
That is not the team the Lakers beat, 120-94, on Wednesday night in their first easy win of the season. In a role reversal, now the Lakers are one of the best teams in the league when it comes to assists, with aspirations for more, and now they are the ones with championship plans.
The Warriors, on the other hand, have the worst record in the Western Conference. They lost one superstar to free agency (Kevin Durant) and two to injuries (Klay Thompson and Curry) and are now 2-10. It is their worst start since the 1999-2000 season, a season the Lakers ended with a championship.
With the win, the Lakers improved to 9-2, which is their best start since the 2010-11 season, when they began the year 13-2.
They led by as many as 27 points, and trailed only once at the start of the game. They got 23 points from LeBron James, 22 points from Kyle Kuzma and 18 points from JaVale McGee. Dwight Howard added 15.
Former Laker D'Angelo Russell led the Warriors with 21 points.
