Lakers defense

So what happened to that vaunted Lakers defense that propelled them to victory in Game 3 on Thursday?

Yeah, that’s right. That vaunted Lakers defense. That swarming, trapping, high-intensity defense that caught the Phoenix Suns so off-guard the other night.

As it turns out, it’s still a work in progress.

“It’s kind of new so everybody doesn’t always know what to do or how to rotate yet,” said Lakers guard Shammond Williams, one of the defensive heroes on Thursday night. “We haven’t jumped screen and rolls or played screen and rolls like that all year.

“Sometimes, when you’re doing something new, you miss a few things here and there and it costs you.”