The Los Angeles Lakers won't be playing exhibition games in Hawai'i this fall.

The Lakers, who usually hold training camp here on a biennial basis and last trained here in October 2007, couldn't get a definite window of available dates for practice and exhibition games at Stan Sheriff Center, a University of Hawai'i official said.

The delay in Stan Sheriff's availability was a domino effect caused by the delayed announcement of the Western Athletic Conference football schedule. That holdup caused a delay in the completion of the Rainbow Wahine volleyball schedule, which hasn't been released yet.

The Lakers plan to train in California. There is a possibility they might return to Hawai'i in 2010.

The Lakers were here for 10 days in 2007, which concluded with two games against the Golden State Warriors. Not all of the Lakers practices were held at Stan Sheriff. Because of a conflict, the Lakers also trained at 'Iolani.

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS

LAKERS 116, NUGGETS 102

LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant scored 33 points, Pau Gasol added 27 points and 19 rebounds, and Los Angeles welcomed back center Andrew Bynum in a win over Denver.

Bynum, playing in his first game since tearing the medial collateral ligament in his right knee on Jan. 31, had 16 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes as the Lakers tied idle Cleveland for the league lead with 63 victories.

ROCKETS 115, KINGS 98

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ron Artest scored 26 points and Houston turned a 54-49 halftime deficit into an 85-74 lead entering the fourth quarter for its third straight win to move into the top spot in the Southwest Division.

Yao Ming added 20 points and nine rebounds for the Rockets. Spencer Hawes had 22 points and 11 rebounds for struggling Sacramento, which lost its sixth straight and eighth in nine games. With the NBA's worst record at 16-62, Sacramento is on track for the worst finish in franchise history.

BULLS 113, 76ERS 99

CHICAGO — Ben Gordon and Tyrus Thomas each scored 24 points, and Chicago reduced its magic number to one over Charlotte and moved a half game ahead of Detroit for the seventh playoff berth in the East.

Thomas set a season-high for points while converting a career-best 14 of 14 free throws. He scored 10 points in the third quarter and Gordon added seven as the Bulls turned a halftime tie into an 82-72 lead en route to their 13th home win in 14 games.