After less than five minutes guarding Kobe Bryant, Richard Hamilton was walking off the court, ejected following a pair of technical fouls.

For the Detroit Pistons, the frustration was only beginning.

Bryant scored 33 points without playing in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers took advantage of Hamilton’s absence in a 103-90 victory Wednesday night. Bryant scored 24 in the first half, helping the Lakers open a 14-point halftime lead, and the struggling Pistons allowed the first seven points of the third quarter to fall behind 66-45.

“It was very important to get off to a good start,” Bryant said. “I think when you play teams like this, and you give them momentum and give them energy, all of a sudden you find yourself in a dogfight.”

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