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Despite misfiring on 22 of their 24 three-point tries, the Lakers got Andrew Bynum back, and dominated the paint against a fast paced Nuggets’ group — playing their brand of basketball under new head coach Mike Brown.

It was a clash of styles on display at the Staples Center, and the Lakers tempo won out, 92-89 — thanks in large part to the return of their prized 7-foot center — who tallied 29 points and 13 rebounds in his first game back this season.

The 285-pound interior presence was 13 of 18 shooting and crashed the offensive glass with six hauls — helping the Lakers outrebound Denver 50-36.

Bynum compensated enough for an off-day by Kobe, who was 6 of 18 shooting, yet, nonetheless, missed out on a triple-double by only one assist — 10 rebounds and nine dimes to accompany 18 points.

In the deciding fourth quarter, Bynum and Kobe teamed up to score 18 points, matching the Nuggets output for the final period to earn the win.  It also helped that Denver forward Danilo Gallinari missed a potential game-tying bunny on a fast break opportunity with 1.1 seconds left.

For Bynum, he came through when it mattered the most, as he had 11 points in the last 12 minutes and also provided early out of the gate for the Lakers.

“They were looking for me a lot. I was a focal point early in the offense, so I knew the quicker I got down the court, the better it was,” said Bynum, who made four of his first five shots and finished the first quarter with 10 points.

His frontcourt partner, Pau Gasol, also generated an impressive effort with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Overall, it was a game you will be seeing the Lakers play a lot from here on out — aggressive, grind-it-out basketball — led by Bynum.

 ”I just wanted to come out and be aggressive. I wanted to get it down low, and when I got it, I made shots.”

How fitting is it that with all the talk revolving around the trade that didn’t happen with Chris Paul and a possible pursuit of Dwight Howard, that Bynum made you forget about the near-miss acquisitions with a big-time performance in his first game in an offense tailored around his needs.

Could the Lakers new approach of tough defense and beat-you-up physicality bring the best out of Bynum, an asset many believe the Lakers should have traded by now?

Either way, you finally got a glimpse of what the Lakers could be this season centered around a healthy Bynum — let’s just hope he stays at full strength.

Rematch: The Lakers will travel to the Mile High City on New Year’s Day to play the Nuggets again.