LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant finally took a much-needed game off to rest on a night when the Los Angeles Lakers were playing the team with the NBA’s best record.

Most figured that without their star, the Lakers would get blown out big time by the 23-3 Golden State Warriors, which of course would quiet down anyone saying the Lakers actually perform better when the 36-year-old Bryant isn't on the court, as advanced statistics indicate.

But then something happened.

The Lakers flipped the script, played by far their best game of the season and dominated the Warriors, leading by as much as 24 -- their largest lead of the season. Kobe’s worst nightmare? Good thing no one will jump to conclusions.

Play of the game: There were many big shots, but none bigger than the half-court shot Vlade Divac sank between the third and fourth quarters to win $90,000 for charity. The Lakers were rolling at that point, up 95-73, and everything in the world seemed to be going their way. And then Divac, a former Laker who in 1996 was traded to the Charlotte Hornets for the draft rights to a teenager named Kobe Bryant, came onto the court in a red sweater and buried the shot. The crowd went absolutely bonkers.

Stat(s) of the night: The Lakers tied their season-high with 28 assists, tied their season-high with 12 3-pointers and had seven players score in double figures, led by Carlos Boozer, who scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds. But you knew the Lakers were going to be hot when they went on two separate streaks of making nine straight field goals in a row. They shot 51.7 percent.

Turning point: In the third quarter, the Warriors charged back behind Stephen Curry, cutting the Lakers' lead to 10. But the Lakers didn’t back down. Wayne Ellington, who started in place of Bryant, hit a huge 3-pointer, and the Lakers eventually pushed the lead back to 21.