NBA: LA Lakers 112, Toronto 99

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant combined for 47 points Sunday, carrying the Los Angeles Lakers to a 112-99 pasting of the Toronto Raptors.

The Lakers are now an NBA-best 14-1, their strongest start since the 2001-2002 season when they shot out of the gate with a 16-1 mark.

Gasol finished with 24 points and Bryant had 23 in LA's seventh straight win.

"We expect to win every night," said Gasol, who also had nine rebounds. "Fourteen-and-one doesn't surprise me with the team we have."

Andrew Bynum added 18 points and Trevor Ariza had 14.

The Raptors' starters all hit double figures, led by 19 points from Anthony Parker. Toronto had won its previous two outings.

LA took the early lead in this game and used a 15-3 run to make it 51-38 with 4:57 left in the second quarter. Toronto pulled within 55-51 but the Lakers pushed the Raptors back with another run that gave them a 10-point edge at the half. Every time the Raptors tried to claw back into contention in the second half, the Lakers answered with runs of their own, including a 15-7 stretch that put them up 84-69 with 2:20 remaining in the third period.