March 2010 Archives

ATLANTA -- What a long, strange trip. The Lakers got thumped by the Atlanta Hawks tonight and fell to 2-3 on their five-game trip. They never found the right kind of rhythm tonight, unless you count reeling as a rhythm. Kobe Bryant scored 28 points, Pau Gasol had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Jordan Farmar had 16 points and Ron Artest had 15. Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 25 points on 10-for-20 shooting. The Lakers never led after the early minutes. Now they return to L.A. to face the Utah Jazz on Friday.

"What we did just didn't work," Artest said. "I'm not going to make excuses. We definitely tried out best. On this trip, our best wasn't good enough. I don't think we need to fix anything. We just need to continue to play."

Said Bryant: "We're not playing well defensively. This trip, it's been consistently bad. So we have to get back to work."

Said Lakers coach Phil Jackson: "They just outplayed us. Regardless of inspiration, they beat us to balls, they were quicker to the offensive boards. They had no turnovers in the second half."

ATLANTA -- Sasha Vujacic's sideline blow-up at the coaching staff during the Lakers' loss last week to the Oklahoma City Thunder apparently had serious consequences. He did not play in their victory over the Houston Rockets or their loss to the New Orleans Hornets. He also wasn't going to play tonight against the Atlanta Hawks without making good on a preseason promise, according to Lakers coach Phil Jackson. Vujacic said he didn't know what Jackson was talking about and referred reporters to the coach.

"I'm in the doghouse? I don't know ask him," Vujacic said. "There's no agreement. Thanks for letting me know. Nothing unusual. Typical player/coach (disagreement). Nothing to make a big deal out of, at least that's what I was told the next day. I think the whole season I haven't gotten much playing time. At least now I know what my role is. I was trying to find that out all season long. Now I know."

And what is that role?

"Well, I'm out of the rotation," he said. "If they're winning, I'm not playing. If they're losing, if this team is down by 20 points, I get three minutes. So ... All year I was trying to find out what my role is and trying to see if I can help this team in any kind of way. I was playing a little bit, in and out and now that I know. I've got to be ready. Always. Like I said, it's typical player/coach disagreement. It's not a big deal. If you want to make a big deal out of it, go ahead."

ATLANTA -- Kobe Bryant didn't have much to say after the Lakers' loss Monday to the New Orleans Hornets. He was more expansive when he was a pregame guest in the NBATV studios Tuesday night, however. Here's some of what he had to say:

Bryant on the vision he has for his team going into the Playoffs: "It is my responsibility to make sure that we improve and continue to move in the right direction. The playoffs are right here so it is important that I put my foot on the gas and make sure that we have in our mind's eye the kind of urgency that we need to play with and defend."

Bryant on his attitude during (Monday) night's loss against the Hornets: "The trap that you run into is that you play with that sense of urgency when you are down 10, 12, 13 points. That is the kind of mentality that I do not want us to have going into the post season. You kind of lollygag going into a series and then you are down, 3-1. You kind of fall into that false sense of security and all of a sudden it is time to go and it's too late."

Bryant on the motivation the Lakers need to have going into the playoffs: "This is the first time that we have ever had to repeat. We don't want to be that type of team that has to lose a championship in order to appreciate a championship. The experience we had in Boston (two years ago) should be enough to sustain that hunger for a period of time."

Bryant on the difference between the Lakers this year and the Lakers last year: "We are a different team; it is tough to say if it is better. Ultimately, if we win another championship, we can't go any higher than that. We won last year and if we are fortunate enough to win one this year you can call the teams on par. We have a different identity. Last year, Trevor (Ariza) had his hand on balls, he was active, he was a lengthy long defender. This year, our team is more physical, we've slowed things down quite a bit, used more of the shot clock quite a bit, it is just different."

Bryant on his role as a scorer going into the playoffs with this team: "It entirely depends on the defense and how they play me. I will let them pick and choose how I'm going to play. If they double and come quickly then I'm going to kick it and facilitate my other guys. If they want to play me straight up certain stretches of the game, then I'm going to work and do what I do. I let them pick their poison."

Bryant on the changes he has made during his career: "I think it is a growth period; once you come into the NBA you have to find out what your game is going to be. How are you going to develop, what is going to be your identity and how is the team going to be able to adjust to it on a nightly basis. It took me a little while to figure out what my game was going to be. I went through periods where I changed throughout the years but the important thing is to be as consistent as you can."

ATLANTA -- Lakers coach Phil Jackson left it up to me to answer my own question about whether the team is just in a little pre-playoffs lull or whether their losses to Oklahoma City on Saturday and New Orleans on Monday were something more troubling. Jackson said: "You can speculate about that if you want to. I couldn't guess about that. What have we won, eight out of 10 games? Who's to whine? What are we gong to whine about?"

True, true, but if they had played up to their usual standards they might be on a 10-game winning streak going into Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks.

NEW ORLEANS -- No misprint, the Lakers really did lose to the going nowhere New Orleans Hornets tonight. They'll need a victory Wednesday over the Atlanta Hawks to post a winning record on their five-game trip. So far, it's been win one, lose one, win one, lose one. The Lakers didn't play with any sense of urgency until it was too late tonight. Chris Paul, Darren Collison and somebody by the name of Marcus Thornton had carved them up by then. The Lakers didn't have much of anything going. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 31 points and Pau Gasol had 26 points and 22 rebounds. David West had 20 points for New Orleans, Thornton had 18, Collison had 17 and Paul had 15 points and 13 assists.

NEW ORLEANS -- The Lakers started out just fine tonight. Other than the fact that Pau Gasol was the only one who could make a basket, that is. Gasol scored 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting in the early minutes. No other Laker had scored with 5 minutes, 18 seconds left in the first quarter, which was a bad sign. Things didn't get a whole lot better in the first half. Gasol had 14 points and 10 rebounds and Ron Artest scored 12 and Kobe Bryant had 10 points. But they were no match for the scalding Hornets, who shot 7 of 13 from beyond the 3-point arc (53.8 percent). David West and Marcus Thornton had 10 each.

NEW ORLEANS -- Here's the latest:

Jackson said it wasn't imperative for Andrew Bynum to play in one of the Lakers' final regular-season games. Bynum has ditched the walking boot he was wearing at the start of the trip to protect his strained left Achilles tendon. Bynum isn't sure when he might play. Also, Jackson said Luke Walton could practice with his teammates as soon as Thursday, when the Lakers return from their trip. Walton has played in only 24 games this season because of a back injury. He hopes to play Sunday against San Antonio.

NEW ORLEANS -- I've been meaning to post this exchange between Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith during Thursday night's TNT doubleheader. Barkley makes it clear he's picking the Cleveland Cavaliers over the Lakers to win the NBA championship.

Barkley on why he believes the Cavaliers will win the championship this year: "I think the Cavaliers are the team to beat this year. This is not the same Cleveland team (as last year). With the addition of Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison they are not the same team. I never thought I would pick against the Lakers, but I'm going to."

Smith: "The L.A. Lakers and even the Lakers fans are spoiled to the fact that they have the second-best record in basketball and they are asking 'what's wrong in Laker land?' That's a little spoiled. They are an incredible basketball team."

Barkley: "They are missing something, they really miss Trevor Ariza. Nobody wants to say that. I like Ron Artest, but he has not played well. They are going to miss Trevor Ariza. He played great in the playoffs."

Are they right? Are the Cavs the better team and are Lakers fans spoiled?

NEW ORLEANS -- The Lakers (54-19) need to win six of their final nine regular-season games in order to hit the 60-victory milestone for the second consecutive season. Can they do it? They say they want to, according to Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who said, "It's a number that's kind of a distinction in this game. Now there's a chance. They've got some pride in themselves. They want to do it." The Lakers were 65-17 last season.

HOUSTON -- The Lakers rebounded from Friday's debacle against the Oklahoma City Thunder, defeating the Houston Rockets tonight with relative ease. Kobe Bryant missed a triple-double by one assist. He had 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Pau Gasol scored a seaon-high 30 points on 11-for-17 shooting. The Lakers had 21 assists against Houston after recording a season-low seven against Oklahoma City.

HOUSTON -- There was no repeat tonight of the Lakers' feeble first half Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. For starters, the Lakers had almost twice as many assists in the first half against the Houston Rockets (13) as they had in the entire game against the Thunder. Kobe Bryant had six to go with 10 points in the half. Pau Gasol led the Lakers with 15 points. Lamar Odom had a team-leading 10 rebounds. Jermaine Taylor led the Rockets with 13 points. Former Laker Trevor Ariza had only four points on 2-for-7 shooting.

HOUSTON -- Color me skeptical, but here's the key paragraph from Ken Berger's blog at CBSsports.com: "There's a greater chance he crosses the country and goes to New York than he crosses the hallway and goes to the Clippers," one (NBA) executive said. "He can use the Clippers all he wants, but he's not going to the Clippers -- unless he gets to pick his own coach and GM or something like that. I had no inkling that he would leave the Lakers last summer. Now, New York could be a legitimate option. I wouldn't rule it out."

First of all, I believe Phil Jackson will return to coach the Lakers next season, whether they win a second straight NBA championship or not. Second, I think Bryant will receive a contract extension at some point in the not-too-distant future, ruling out the possibility that he would terminate his contract July 1 and become a free agent. Third, why the Knicks? It would be like going back in time for Bryant, back to the days when he was surrounded by a lackluster supporting cast. Why would he do it?

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Lakers' seven-game winning streak came to a crashing end tonight. Their 12-game winning streak against the Oklahoma City Thunder/Seattle SuperSonics also ended. The Lakers avoided the franchise record for fewest points in a game (70 set Nov. 5, 2002 against the Cleveland Cavaliers). But they set a low for points in a game this season. They had only 13 points in the third quarter, but rallied with 28 in the fourth quarter. On the plus side, the starters should be well-rested for Saturday's game against the Houston Rockets. Only Ron Artest played in the fourth quarter tonight. Lamar Odom led the Lakers with 15 points. Kevin Durant had 26 for the ThunderSonics.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Lakers were no-shows in the first half tonight and the young, energetic and frenetic Oklahoma City Thunder made them pay. Russell Westbrook, a former UCLA standout, scored 17 points on 8-for-11 shooting. Kevin Durant added 13 points on 6-for-11 shooting. Lamar Odom led the Lakers with 12, and Kobe Bryant had 11. The Lakers shot 15 for 40 in the first half (37.5), which was an improvement on their 6-for-20 shooting in the first quarter (30 percent). The Lakers have won 12 in a row over the Thunder/Sonics, a streak which seems destined to end tonight.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Phil Jackson said this afternoon he's open to returning to coach the Lakers after his contract runs out at the end of this season. His health, which has been good this season, and the Lakers' success, which also has been pretty good, are the key factors in his decision to sign a new contract. Here's more of what he said:

"No decision. No leaning at all. I'm leaning against a wall. Health-wise it's fine. I serve at the behest of the Buss family, and Jeanie I serve all the time. I think it's the best way to approach it right now. The way the team is, the way it's built, the way it's going this season, the direction the NBA is going right now. A lot of these things fit together.

"If we win, it's almost imperative we give it another shot, but that's a lot of ifs. Winning is a big problem. There are four playoffs you have to get through before we can say we've won and now we have a chance to do something special again, something unique. That's a long shot. I think how we make it through the year has a lot to do with it.

"I think Dr. Buss said he put a lot of things on the line by re-signing Lamar (Odom). Some of it is financial. This team has never lost money since he's owned it. We all pushed him to sign Lamar. We have to get this guy back. At a time when it's tough financially in this league, he took the step (to keep the team intact).

"I'll do a whole physical checkup at the end of the year ... and then I'll make a decision. It's pretty easy. It'll go pretty quick. It's a two-day thing and then I'll be back and say what happens."

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Some days are funny. Going by my boarding passes, it's only about 600 miles from San Antonio to Oklahoma City. Actually, it's less if you drive directly along Interstate 35. Several beat reporters flew from San Antonio to Oklahoma City with a change of planes in Houston. No big deal. There are many cities that require a change of planes. But when we got to Houston after a mere 32 minutes in the air from San Antonio, we arrived at our gate to discover there was no flight attendant to work our flight to Oklahoma City. We scratched our heads. Has this ever happened to anyone else?

P.S. The airline found someone to work the flight and after a short delay we were on our way to Oklahoma City, arriving a little late.

SAN ANTONIO -- How about Ron Artest blowing kisses to Lakers fans in the crowd tonight at the AT&T Center? Artest scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds and added three assists, five steals and one blocked shots in 36 minutes, 36 seconds. If you didn't know it before tonight, this was why the Lakers signed him last summer and allowed Trevor Ariza to move to the Houston Rockets as a free agent. There were lots of other reasons why the Lakers extended their winning streak, but Artest's play was one of the big ones. Pau Gasol's defensive play against San Antonio's Tim Duncan was another. Gasol and Duncan essentially neutralized each other, which was fine with the Lakers. Gasol had 10 points and 12 rebounds and Duncan had six points on 2-for-11 shooting plus 12 rebounds.

SAN ANTONIO -- The Lakers couldn't guard George Hill in the first half tonight. Hill, filling in for the injured Tony Parker, scored 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting. Tim Duncan had only four points on 2-for-7 shooting. Lamar Odom scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Lakers. Kobe Bryant added 10 points. He made a jump shot midway through the first quarter and passed Alex English for 12th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

SAN ANTONIO -- Nothing new to report, but ESPN's Los Angeles website had a lengthy sit-down interview with Lakers owner Jerry Buss. Here's the key question and answer from Buss about Coach Phil Jackson's future with the team beyond the end of his contract:

Q: There was a claim in a recent Internet story that, because of the failure of the Lakers to offer Phil Jackson a contract extension to this point, there is a tension among members of the Buss family. Is that true?

A: We really want to get through the year and then take a deep breath and see where we are. If I were to go to Phil right now and say, "Will you coach next year?" he'd say, "Well, let's wait until the end of the year and see how I feel." So, I don't think it causes any tension. I know I have to wait until season's end before a discussion begins.

SAN ANTONIO -- The Lakers headed for Texas today looking more like a M*A*S*H unit. Let's see if we have the complete list of the injured. Ron Artest, Shannon Brown, Kobe Bryant and Jordan Farmar have broken fingers or sprained thumbs. Lamar Odom has an injured finger and an injured shoulder. Andrew Bynum has a strained left Achilles tendon. Sasha Vujacic is still wearing a T-shirt with a protective pad sewn inside because of a shoulder injury. Derek Fisher has a jammed hip. Luke Walton has a back injury. Am I forgetting anyone?

Power forward/center Pau Gasol earned Western Conference player of the week honors after averaging 24.8 points on 68.5 percent shooting, 11.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in four games. The Lakers won all four, part of a six-game winning streak. Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics was named the Eastern Conference player of the week.

In case you missed it, here's some of what Lakers coach Phil Jackson had to say immediately after Sunday's 99-92 victory over the Washington Wizards: "It was an awful second half. There was no intensity. We didn't play right. We didn't play with a full functioning group of guys. Kobe (Bryant) took one shot in the second half, and that was it. ... It just says something about our lack of intensity."

Here was Jackson today, declining to back off in the least: "I really wasn't happy with the attitude of some of our featured players, Kobe, Pau (Gasol) and Lamar (Odom), out there with those guys (the second unit) and not really contributing the way I'd like to see them contribute."

Is he right to criticize the Lakers so harshly? Or is he overdoing it?

Pau Gasol scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Kobe Bryant added 24 points to lead the Lakers past the Washington Wizards tonight at Staples Center and extend their winning streak to six consecutive games. The Lakers hardly missed a beat in the first game since Andrew Bynum suffered a strained left Achilles tendon. Ron Artest added 16 points and Shannon Brown scored 13 in a reserve role. Lamar Odom, who was moved into the starting lineup to replace Bynum, scored only four points but had 13 rebounds. Next: the Lakers begin a five-game trip Wednesday at San Antonio.

Playing for the first time since center Andrew Bynum suffered a strained left Achilles tendon, the Lakers picked apart the Washington Wizards in the first half tonight. Or, more to the point, Kobe Bryant picked apart the Wizards. He scored 22 points on 9-for-17 shooting, which would be a pretty good game for some players. He scored 20 on 8-for-11 shooting in the second quarter. He still has the second half to play, although with the lopsided score it's not clear how much he will play. Pau Gasol added 14 points and six rebounds, moving from power forward to center in place of Bynum. The Lakers shot 23 for 40 in the first half (57.5 percent).

Kobe Bryant scored 22 points and added 13 assists to lead the Lakers over the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at Staples Center. The Lakers have won five consecutive games and have a 10-game streak against the Timberwolves. Lamar Odom added 18 points in a reserve role, Pau Gasol had 17 points and a team-leading 14 rebounds. Jordan Farmar scored 12 points and Ron Artest had 10. Andrew Bynum scored 11 before he suffered a strained left Achilles tendon in the third quarter and could not return to the game.

Here's what Bynum said as he walked from the arena with his foot in a walking boot: "I was running back on (defense). It was just really sharp and really quick. It was one or two seconds and then it calmed down. I didn't do anything. I was just running this time. I'm calm right now. It doesn't hurt real bad."

Andrew Bynum suffered a strained left Achilles tendon in the third quarter of tonight's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was not expected to return to the game, which the Lakers led almost from start to finish. He will be re-evaluated Saturday. Bynum suffered significant injuries to each of his knees in the last two seasons. He had made it through 2009-10 without hurting his knees. He had scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds before he left the game. The Lakers led the Timberwolves, 78-68, after three quarters.

Kobe Bryant had almost as many assists (nine) as points (11) in the first half tonight. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol also scored 11 points as the Lakers led most of the way over the Timberwolves. Kevin Love, a former UCLA standout, scored 12 points in a reserve role to lead Minnesota. This was Kurt Rambis' second trip back to Staples Center to face the Lakers, the team for which he played and coached. The Lakers and Timberwolves play for the third and final time this season next month in Minneapolis. The Lakers need a victory tonight plus a win by the Boston Celtics over the Houston Rockets in order to clinch a playoff berth. The Celtics beat the Rockets, 94-87.

There were a couple of health notes before tonight's game against Minnesota.

First, Pau Gasol said he was "good to go" after missing practice because of a case of tonsillitis Thursday. Gasol said he came down with inflamed tonsils after the Lakers' victory Tuesday over the Kings in Sacramento.

Second, Luke Walton said he participated in a 4-on-4 scrimmage recently, but there is no timetable for his return to a full practice. He has been limited to 24 games this season because of a pinched nerve in his back.

Third, Ron Artest (sprained left thumb) asked out of an attempt at the world record for the most consecutive free throws by two people in one minute. Instead, Shannon Brown will join Lamar Odom in the attempt at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Fan Jam at the Convention Center.

Interesting item unearthed by Larry Altman, the Daily Breeze's superb cops reporter. ...

"Lakers forward Pau Gasol sought help from Redondo Beach police today when he became concerned about two men following him, officers said. The men turned out to be Spanish paparazzi trying to get a photograph of the star basketball player with his girlfriend. Gasol is dating a cheerleader who, like him, is from Spain.

"Gasol, who lives in Redondo Beach, told officers he saw the men following him before he got into his car. They tailed him with such tenacity that he was unsure if he was being stalked or if they were photographers, Redondo Beach police Sgt. Phil Keenan said.

"Gasol called a friend in law enforcement who advised him to pull into the back of the Redondo Beach police station. Gasol stopped at the station shortly after 1 p.m. and described the car to officers. Officers spotted the black sedan and pulled it over on Diamond Street near Catalina Avenue, just west of the police station. The occupants turned out to be credentialed paparazzi with a Spanish news agency and were allowed to leave, Keenan said. Police escorted Gasol home.

"In a brief interview, the men said they were paparazzi with a Spanish news agency. They declined to identify themselves or their agency. 'Maybe he thought we were something else,' the older of the pair said. 'Maybe he thought we were kidnappers.'

"The girlfriend, Silvia Lopez Castro, has been linked to Gasol since last summer and reportedly lives with him."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson has tinkered with his backup guard rotation since Sasha Vujacic returned from an eight-game absence because of a sprained right shoulder. Vujacic hasn't played major minutes in the four games since he returned to the active roster, but he has cut into Jordan Farmar's minutes. Vujacic played 12 minutes Tuesday against Sacramento, six minutes against Golden State, 13 minutes against Phoenix and three minutes against Toronto. Farmar played nine minutes, nine minutes, three minutes and 15 minutes in the same four games. Overall, Vujacic is averaging eight minutes this season and Farmar is averaging 18 minutes.

"I'm trying to get Sasha back in game shape for us, so there is a minute situation that's going on right now," Jackson explained. "(Farmar) has to live with it. It's what the team is all about, getting the team ready for the playoffs and trying to win games in the process. I know there are personal feelings and sometimes they have to be sublimated."

Is Jackson doing the right thing here?

SACRAMENTO -- The Lakers took another step tonight with their victory over the Sacramento Kings at Arco Arena. They broke open the game with a 9-0 run that bridged the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth. Kobe Bryant scored 30 points and added nine rebounds and seven assist as the Lakers won their 50th game of the season. Pau Gasol had 28 points and 12 rebounds and Andrew Bynum had 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Lakers haven't had three players with 20 or more points plus 10 or more rebounds in the same game since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and James Worthy did it in a game Dec. 21, 1984 against the Phoenix Suns.

SACRAMENTO -- The Lakers were great when they tossed the ball into the paint and let Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol do their stuff against the Sacramento Kings in the first half tonight. When they didn't, when they tried to run up and down and play a frenetic pace, they weren't very good. The Lakers led by as many as 13 points in the first half, then settled for a one-point lead at halftime. Kobe Bryant had 18 points, five rebounds and three assists, Bynum had 17 points and nine rebounds and Gasol scored 11 points. The Western Conference-leading Lakers sought their second victory in as many nights and their fourth overall.

SACRAMENTO -- Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant are the NBA's toughest defenders, according to the results of a poll of the league's players conducted by Sports Illustrated. Artest was named by 42 percent of the players and Bryant was named by 13 percent. Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic was third with 12 percent, with Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics fourth with 6 percent and Shane Battier of the Houston Rockets fifth with 4 percent. Full disclosure, I have helped SI with the poll the last three seasons.

OAKLAND -- if you looked at the final score and a few selected statistics, you might have thought the Lakers played a fine game while defeating the Golden State Warriors tonight. But then there was the number 24. That was the number of turnovers the Lakers had during their ninth straight win over the Warriors. Golden State feasted on the Lakers' mistakes, turning their turnovers into 29 points. In other words, it would have been a rout instead of a nail-biter if the Lakers had taken care of the ball. Kobe Bryant scored 29 points for the Lakers and Stephen Curry had 29 for the Warriors. Monta Ellis missed a 3 at the buzzer that would have tied the score and sent the game to overtime.

OAKLAND -- OK, that was ugly. The Lakers had 15 turnovers in the first half tonight, which pretty much accounted for their deficit to the lowly Golden State Warriors. The Lakers shot 21 for 36 (58.3 percent). They outrebounded the undersized Warriors, 25-13. They also went to the free throw line 20 times, making 13. The Warriors were 7 for 8 from the line. The high number of turnovers hindered the Lakers, however. Pau Gasol had 14 points, Kobe Bryant had 12, Lamar Odom had 11 and Andrew Bynum added 10. Chris Hunter scored 16 points to lead the Warriors, and Corey Maggette had 12 on 6-for-6 shooting.

OAKLAND -- Upon further review, the NBA decided to upgrade Pau Gasol's hard foul Friday on Louis Amundson of the Phoenix Suns to a flagrant-1. Gasol cracked Amundson in the head in the second half of the Lakers' victory. Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry protested a little too vigorously and was ejected and later fined $25,000.

With backup guard Jordan Farmar playing only limited minutes during the Lakers' victory Friday night over the Phoenix Suns, fellow Bench Mobber Sasha Vujacic got a good, long run. Farmar aggravated his broken left pinky in the first half and did not play in the second. So, Vujacic got to play extended minutes in his second game back from a sprained right shoulder that sidelined him for eight contests. Now, we all know the Machine has needed some serious repairs for most of this season. But is Vujacic now a Defensive Machine? He certainly made a pest of himself at times Friday. After all, he pressured Grant Hill into a traveling violation, which helped to trigger the Lakers' electric 10-0 run to end the first half. It was an overlooked play at the time, but one that paid big dividends. Let's see if there's more to come on the defensive end for Vujacic.

PHOENIX -- The Lakers took a significant stride tonight toward regaining their championship swagger. OK, maybe they just took a halting step toward playing more like a team that might challenge for a title. Whatever it was, they played with far more fire and determination than in recent games. They took the lead over the Suns near the end of the first half and held it most of the rest of the way. Kobe Bryant scored 21 points to lead five Lakers in double figures. He also had 10 rebounds, eight assists and seven turnovers. He blamed the turnovers on his broken right index finger. "I can't hold the ball. It's a little frustrating," he said. Amare Stoudemire led Phoenix by scoring 19 of his 29 in the first half.

"Our execution wasn't so great," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "I thought we tried to do some things that were beyond our level, running out and shooting 3s on fastbreaks, but the effort was there. ... We were aggressive and guys stayed aggressive out there."

Said Bryant: "We just took what they gave us. ... I think, all in all, we attacked wherever they put two guys. Wherever they double(-teamed) us, we did a good job spacing out (the floor), making shots, shot the 3 pretty well. Defensively, we were very solid."

PHOENIX -- After struggling to stop Amare Stoudemire, after slumping offensively against the Phoenix Suns' zone defense, after getting into foul trouble, the Lakers finished the first half tonight with a 10-0 run that carried them to a modest lead. Andrew Bynum led the Lakers with 11 points and Ron Artest had 10. Lakers coach Phil Jackson played everyone on the active roster but DJ Mbenga. Stoudemire led the Suns with 19 points and nine rebounds. The Lakers held the Suns to 17-for-44 shooting (38.6 percent).

PHOENIX -- Here's what Suns coach Alvin Gentry said about the Lakers tonight:

"They, obviously, struggled on the road, but vulnerable in what sense? I don't know if there's any team out there playing that can beat them four out of seven games. I don't know if that's possible. They've got a completely different agenda than what we have. We're trying to get ourselves into the playoffs. They're trying to get themselves ready for a championship run. I don't know if vulnerable is the word I would use.

"They haven't closed out a few games. Charlotte played great against them. Even the Toronto game, they struggled in that and once again (Bryant) rescued them. At the end of the day, whatever happens in the West is going to go through L.A. I mean, Dallas is playing real good right now and they feel good about themselves. Utah's playing great and Oklahoma City is playing real good. Denver, I think they have to have K-Mart (Kenyon Martin) back (from an injury) to make a run at them. They've played great against them. It's a good matchup. For some reason, they match up great against the Lakers.

"I still say whatever happens, you're going to have to win some games in L.A. to get to where you want to go."

The Lakers were still answering questions today about the showboating and trash talking done by some of their opponents recently, especially Orlando's Matt Barnes. Clearly, it has had an impact on them. Lamar Odom complained about Barnes' antics during the Lakers' loss to the Magic on Sunday. He spoke about all the talk he heard from the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. Asked about it today, Kobe Bryant said, "I think teams gain confidence when they see us struggling. It is what it is. It doesn't matter. When the playoffs come around and you're playing well, you take that confidence from your opponent as the series goes on. That's the most important thing, when the playoffs come around, we're rolling."

Here's what Andrew Bynum said during an interview after Tuesday's victory over the Toronto Raptors: "Right now I think what it is is people are looking forward to the playoffs, but that really doesn't work. You start needing to send the message right now that when people see us in the playoffs they are a little discouraged. Right now when everyone plays us they are confident and want to knock off the champions. We need to start changing that now."

Here's the list of Kobe Bryant's six game-winning jumpers this season:

Toronto, March 9 at Staples Center.
Final score: 109-107.
The situation: The Lakers and Raptors were tied at 107.
The shot: a fadeaway jumper from along the right baseline.
The defenders: Antoine Wright and Andrea Bargnani.
The time: 1.9 seconds remaining.

Memphis, Feb. 23 at FedEx Forum.
Final score: 99-98.
The situation: The Lakers trailed the Grizzlies, 98-96.
The shot: a 3-pointer from the right wing.
The defender: Rudy Gay.
The time: 4.3 seconds remaining.

Boston, Jan. 31 at TD Garden.
Final score: 90-89.
The situation: The Lakers trailed the Celtics, 89-88.
The shot: a jumper from just above the free throw line.
The defender: Ray Allen.
The time: 7.3 seconds remaining.

Sacramento, Jan. 1 at Staples Center.
Final score: 109-108.
The situation: The Lakers trailed the Kings, 108-106.
The shot: a 3-pointer from the left wing.
The defender: wide open.
The time: at the final buzzer.

Milwaukee, Dec. 16 at Bradley Center.
Final score: 107-106 (OT).
The situation: The Lakers trailed the Bucks, 106-105.
The shot: a jumper just to the left of the free throw line.
The defender: Charlie Bell.
The time: at the final buzzer.

Miami, Dec. 4 at Staples Center.
Final score: 108-107.
The situation: The Lakers trailed the Heat, 107-105.
The shot: a 3-pointer off the glass from just left of straight away.
The defender: Dwyane Wade.
The time: at the final buzzer.

FYI: Bryant also has missed a potential 3-point game-winner Jan. 24 at Toronto and a jumper March 7 that would have sent the Lakers' game at Orlando to overtime.

Kobe Bryant made a fadeaway jump shot from 17 feet away from along the right baseline with 1.9 seconds remaining to lift the Lakers and end their three-game losing streak. Bryant scored 32 points, including the final two that gave him his sixth game-winning jumper this season. Chris Bosh had tied the score at 107-all with a 3-pointer with 9.5 seconds left. After a timeout, the Lakers ran their familiar last-season play. Ron Artest inbounded the ball to Pau Gasol, who faked a pass one way before passing along the right wing to Bryant. Bryant drove to the baseline and launched his jumper over Antoine Wright and Andrea Bargnani.

After a solid start tonight, it looked like nothing had changed for the Lakers. They looked flat for most of the second quarter and trailed by eight at halftime. Pau Gasol scored 13 points and Kobe Bryant added 12. Sasha Vujacic returned to the court after sitting out eight games because of a sprained right shoulder but did not score in two minutes. Andrea Bargnani led the Raptors with 15 points and former USC standout DeMar DeRozan had nine. The Raptors confused the Lakers with a zone defense. Look for more of it.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Here are some of the best postgame comments from the Lakers and Orlando Magic after the Magic's victory today:

Kobe Bryant on the play of the Lakers: "We didn't win the game, but I saw what I wanted to see. If we play with this type of effort, it will be hard for a team to beat us four times in a (playoff) series. Here, we competed and we have to take this mindset and this attitude and push it forward for the rest of the season."

Lamar Odom on the bullseye on the Lakers' backs: "When you actually win a championship, everybody is going to come at you like you are the champions of the world and try to beat you. This year we have made a lot of opposing teams happy, especially on their home court. They will be partying tonight in Orlando."

Orlando's Jameer Nelson beating the Lakers: "Our goal is to win a championship, so, no, this game doesn't win us the trophy."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson on the team's play: "There are some things that as an experienced team should not happen to us. Those are things that we'll try to remedy, but today we were just a little bit off."

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Lakers made strides today, but not enough of them to defeat the Orlando Magic or end their losing streak, which reached three games. It's their first three-game skid since January 2008, mere days before they acquired Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. Kobe Bryant admitted he "cussed out" his teammates during their chat Saturday, after losses Thursday to the Miami Heat and Friday to the Charlotte Bobcats. He said he was pleased by the way they responded to the challenge of the Magic. He missed a 20-foot jumper at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime. Bryant finished with 34 points on 12-for-30 shooting. Pau Gasol had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Vince Carter had 25 for Orlando. Next; Toronto at Staples Center on Tuesday.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- If you're a big fan of free throws, you loved the first quarter today, when the Orlando Magic shot 18 freebies and made 17. Vince Carter was 10 for 10 for the Magic. For everyone else, there were reasons to worry and reasons to feel everything might be all right for the Lakers. Kobe Bryant scored 13 points in the half despite coming down with an upset stomach. The Lakers held Orlando to 15-for-38 shooting (39.5 percent). The Lakers shot 16 for 47 (34 percent), however. They were getting good shots. they weren't making them. Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard got into foul trouble and were nonfactors. Carter led the Magic with 17 points in the half.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Check out Ron Artest's new 'do for today's game against the Orlando Magic. He dyed it gold and purple. The word "defense" is dyed in Hebrew, Hindy and Japanese, although Lakers coach Phil Jackson thinks it might be Korean. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant came down with an upset stomach and was a late arrival to the arena. He is expected to play. Asked for Bryant's status, Jackson cracked, "All-Star, guy who has scored 25,000 points, possible Hall of Fame candidate when he retires, four championships." When it was point out that Bryant wasn't yet at the arena, Jackson said, "Oh, that."

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Just watched the HBO film on Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. It's tremendous. Full marks to the people at HBO. It's on at 8 p.m. in Southern California. Do yourself a favor and watch. If you're old enough to have experienced their rivalry as it unfolded, it will bring back a flood of memories. If you aren't old enough, it will open your eyes to the ways two men changed a sport for the better.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It's official. This turned into a bad trip for the Lakers tonight. They lost their second consecutive game to an inferior team. Who knows what will happen when they play a good team Sunday in Orlando? The Lakers' game was lacking during losses Thursday to the Miami Heat and tonight against the Charlotte Bobcats. Losing to the Heat could be excused. The Heat needed overtime to win, and they have a superstar capable of leading them in Dwyane Wade. What do the Bobcats have? Well, whatever it was, they had a lot more of it than the Lakers had tonight. The Lakers looked tired after a credible start and never led after the first quarter. Kobe Bryant scored 26 points for the Lakers, who haven't lost three in a row since trading for Pau Gasol on Feb. 1, 2008. Stephen Jackson scored 21 points for the Bobcats.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- With the Lakers trailing by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, Coach Phil Jackson searched high and low for a spark. He couldn't find one, so he tried Adam Morrison. At least, he got a rise out of what had been a pretty quiet crowd at the nice downtown arena that's sponsored by a cable company. Morrison took off his sweats and many in the crowd booed him as he walked to the scorer's table. Nothing new for the Lakers in the third quarter. The game is still there for the taking. Unfortunately for the Lakers, it's the Bobcats who seem more willing to do the taking part.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kobe Bryant went off in the closing minutes of the half tonight, but he still couldn't lift the Lakers from their ongoing doldrums. He scored a team-leading 13 points in the half, including two on a Did You See That? move to get away from Gerald Henderson. Bryant couldn't shed Henderson, so he leaped into the air and tossed the ball off the backboard, then chased after the rebound. He gathered himself and scored on a short jump shot from the paint to get the Lakers to within 45-41 in the final moments of the half. The Lakers shot 39 percent in the half. Stephen Jackson led Charlotte with 14 points.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Ron Artest joined the list of Lakers with finger/thumb/hand injuries when he suffered a sprained left thumb during Thursday's overtime loss to the Miami Heat. He was in the starting lineup for tonight's game against the Charlotte Bobcats and had two points,one rebound and three assists in the first quarter. Shannon Brown, Kobe Bryant and Jordan Farmar also have had finger/thumb/hand injuries this season. Andrew Bynum scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Lakers in the first quarter.

MIAMI -- What happens when one of the league's best teams doesn't play like one of the league's best teams against inferior opposition? It loses, of course. The Lakers got away with lackluster starts during victories over Philadelphia, Denver and Indiana. They hit the road and the road hit 'em between the eyes. The Lakers paid for a meandering start. The Heat did them no favors, building confidence when it became clear the Lakers couldn't get away from them. Kobe Bryant scored 39 points for the Lakers. Dwyane Wade had 27 for Miami. Next: Charlotte on Friday night, another team the Lakers should beat. But will they?

"We could have played better, but we just didn't play great," Ron Artest said in the clearest post-game analysis. "It was great to see (Bryant) have a game like he did tonight. We let a team that we are better than stay in the game in the first half. The first half was bad. We have to come out and play hard for the whole game."

MIAMI -- Lakers coach Phil Jackson wasn't sure what to do with Ron Artest tonight against the Miami Heat. He didn't want him guarding the Heat's Quentin Richardson because "he will put him to sleep because Richardson just stands out on the 3-point line most of the time." Jackson also said, "We'll have to get Ron on (Michael) Beasley or (Dwyane) Wade at some point just to active him." Of defending Wade, Jackson said, "We'll have three or four guys trying to guard him tonight." Kobe Bryant could be one of them.

Artest has played lock-down defense on Indiana's Danny Granger, Denver's Carmelo Anthony in the last two games, both Lakers victories.

MIAMI -- In case you missed it, here's Mitch Kupchak's take on the possibility of adding to the roster for the stretch run, courtesy of Vinny, who filled in for me for the last two days:

"Kupchak acknowledged recently released San Antonio guard Michael Finley is on the Lakers' radar. "But I don't anticipate any roster moves at this point," Kupchak said. The Lakers have a spare roster spot to add a player, and with injuries keeping Luke Walton and Sasha Vujacic sidelined, there would appear to be a need for reinforcements.

"Finley would provide a veteran presence, someone who can shoot and defend, but for the time being the Lakers are not inclined to add him. We will continue to monitor the situation, and we are always looking for ways to improve," Kupchak said. "But at this point, we don't anticipate anything."

Love this quote from Kobe Bryant on Ron Artest's defense against Danny Granger during the Lakers' victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. Granger had nine points on 2-for-9 shooting with zero rebounds and five assists. Said Bryant: "That's why he's here, because he puts guys in a straight jacket. Really good players, that's his responsibility."

Sasha Vujacic shot baskets after Monday's practice, after running on a treadmill. He shot them left-handed, however. His sprained right shoulder is still too weak and it remains uncertain when he will be sound enough to rejoin the active roster. "It's getting there day by day," he said. "I ran today. The process is going faster. I can't take any shots. It's still weak." Vujacic was hurt in the Lakers' loss to the Boston Celtics on Feb. 18.

Roughly 24 hours after wrestling a victory from the Denver Nuggets, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said today, "It was a good win, but it's hard to judge. It's hard to judge who we are right now." He also said of the Lakers (45-15): "Well, I hope we have the idea we've been working with the last week and a half. It's about us. It's not about our opponent. It's about playing to an excellence, not just going out and playing basketball against somebody."