"Either the Clippers or the Lakers were going to provide a panacea for what has ailed the other in recent games.

As it turned out Friday night, the Clippers found their remedy in the Lakers.

And it was Chris Paul who delivered the Clippers to a 107-102 victory over Kobe Bryant and the Lakers at Staples Center.

Paul scored a season-high 30 points, 11 in the fourth quarter, and had 13 assists in a game that was played with playoff intensity by both teams.

Bryant had 38 points on 15-for-25 shooting. It was the 20th time this season Bryant has scored 30 points or more in a game.

But this night belonged to Paul, who also had six rebounds in helping the Clippers break a two-game losing streak and improve to 2-0 against the Lakers this season.

Paul made two free throws for a 101-97 lead, then hit a big-time shot over Bryant that virtually sealed the win for the Clippers. He squared Bryant and drilled a jumper with 19.9 seconds left for a 103-97 lead.