--Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Holding court with a group of reporters, Lakers forward Ron Artest recently shared how his revamped diet plan is rather simple to follow so long as it's done consistently. He doesn't eat late at night. When he does eat, there's more fruits and vegetables. And he's added late-night runs on the treadmill to his conditioning for good measure.

Even following the simplest diets, often touted among the general public during the New Year, often become difficult simply because the daily minutia often feeds temptations to continue poor habits. It's also easier to break because those diets don't always yield immediate results.

Well, the public saw in the Lakers' 95-89 victory Sunday against the Denver Nuggets the immediate benefits of Artest's revamped diet. Though Denver forward Carmelo Anthony, the team's leading scorer, had a team-high 21 points, Artest held him to seven-for-19 shooting and forced him to commit eight turnovers. More importantly, Artest's play sparked an energy and toughness that sorely lacked in the first half. Artest has his diet to thank, which he says has knocked him down from 268 pounds to 255.

"In the last four games, I held the last five opponents under their average," said Artest, who also scored 17 points. "That’s a rhythm I get. Some people get in shooting rhythms. I get in a defensive rhythm. I think I'm in a rhythm right now defensively. That’s how I'm going to try to do and keep people under their average. I can keep my strength and lose weight so that’s great."

The Lakers sorely needed it, as a contentious first half led to many of the team feeling frustrated, most notably Kobe Bryant, who drew a technical foul and was limited to 14 points overall on three-for-17 shooting. The hushed signal from the Nuggets guard J.R. Smith after a dunk in the first half was the most vivid example of Denver trying to intimidate the Lakers. Smith's recent comments on Twitter, which said "Dont get me wrong kobe is great but not when he play me," didn't upset Mamba, who said, "I don’t take that really seriously. Look at the track record. It was something that was said in jest to be funny about it."

But there was plenty that irked the Lakers. They trailed 52-43 at halftime because Denver went 16 of 23 from the free-throw line, while also committing 13 turnovers. It was obvious the Nuggets followed the conventional game plan against the Lakers, by trying to take advantage of their perceived softness, holding Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum to a combined nine points inside.

The team said the Nuggets made some of those comments of that nature, something Lakers forward Gasol said he tuned out because "I don't listen to things that don't make sense."

"We need to really be the aggressor and challenge people instead of always being challenged," Gasol said. "That’s how I feel. Teams come here. We go on the road and teams try to challenge us. We rely so much on our quality and depth of our team, we’re not aggressive enough. We need to start challenging people and imposing our will."

And with Artest, they got just that. He opened the second with an early steal and layup that closed the lead to 52-49 and finished the quarter with six steals. Meanwhile, the Lakers' defensive intensity picked up, holding Denver to 36% shooting in the third quarter and 26.3% in the fourth. That in effect sparked a Lakers offense that featured Lamar Odom (20 points, 12 rebounds), Bryant dishing out a season-high 12 assists and a 15-7 fourth-quarter run. 

Every time Artest has a standout defensive performance and any offensive progression (or lack thereof), inevitable evaluations pop up on whether the Lakers are better with him or were better with Trevor Ariza. Although this won't stop the prognosis to continue, no performance will fully answer that question until the entire season is over. Case in point, Ariza's reputation with the Lakers was largely built on his defensive contributions in last season's playoffs.

But on Sunday, Artest showed what he could provide, with Bryant saying he "earned his money today" and Lakers Coach Phil Jackson saying he did "a remarkable job on Anthony." And the result was a signature win for the Lakers (45-15), who hold a 5 1/2 game-lead over Denver (39-20). 

Said Artest: "We haven't beaten any good teams this year. This was a big one."

--Mark Medina

Photo: Lakers forward Ron Artest, who harassed Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony into a seven-for-19 shooting performance, slaps the ball away on a drive in the fourth quarter Sunday. Credit: Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times.

Lakers 95, Nuggets 89 (final)

The Lakers and Denver Nuggets know they have a rivalry.

They met last season in the Western Conference finals, the Lakers wining the series in six games.

The Lakers had lost the first two games this season to the Nuggets, but .LA. pulled out a hard-fought, intense game this afternoon at Staples Center.

The Lakers and Nuggets meet in April at Denver for the last regular-season game. L.A. now leads Denver by 5 1/2 games for the best record in the Western Conference.

The Lakers had to dig down on defense to get this win.

Once down by 13 point, they took their first lead since the first quarter on a running left-handed bank shot by Lamar Odom (20 points, 12 rebounds) as he was moving to his left early in the fourth quarter.

But the game was for from over, as both the Lakers and Nuggets pushed each other to the end.

When official Courtney Kirkland called Carmelo Anthony for an offensive foul against Ron Artest's tough defense, Anthony had fouled out with 2:13 left and the Nuggets trailing, 93-89.

Kobe Bryant (14 points, 12 assists) and Odom ran over to Artest and rubbed him on the head. Artest threw his hands in the air.

Anthony finished with 21 points on seven-for-19 shooting; Artest knowing did the job on Anthony.

-- Broderick Turner

Photo: Lakers forward Ron Artest slaps the ball from Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony in the fourth quarter Sunday. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

RELATED: Photos from Lakers-Nuggets game

--Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

It's the reason why the Lakers apparently slept walk through their recent victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. It's the reason why Lakers forward Lamar Odom thinks the team needs to play more physical. And it's the reason why the Kamenetzky Brothers with ESPN Los Angeles recently posted not one, but two podcasts.

The reasons, of course, involve the Lakers (44-15) playing Sunday against the Denver Nuggets (39-19). The Lakers conceded Denver is on their radar, with the Nuggets trailing only 4.5 games behind for the West's top spot and already defeating them twice this season by double-digit margins. And there's a few areas the Lakers would like to sharpen to avoid a third consecutive loss as well as the Nuggets increasing their confidence.to Denver as well as the Nuggets increasing their confidence.

The reasons for why the Lakers hold their upcoming matchup with Denver in higher esteem than say, Philadelphia, go beyond the team's head-to-head records. The Lakers are 7-8 this season against the top eight teams in the NBA, including 0-2 against Cleveland, and are 36-7 against the rest of the league. That means the Lakers likely want to lay the foundation for what's required once postseason play begins. Of course, the Lakers' rhetoric and actions on the court could tell a different story.

And if it does, the bottom-line result shouldn't be the final indicator on how the playoff matchups will unfold. As indicated by the Lakers' two losses to Orlando in the 2008-09 season followed by an easy Finals victory in five games over the Magic, there's a huge difference between regular-season and postseason play. Until the Nuggets reach similarly consistent success in the playoffs against the Lakers, they won't consider them a rivalry.

More Lakers links:

--For all the importance society, and perhaps this blog, attaches to sports, The Times' Bill Dwyre highlighted a more significant effort. That has involved Denver Coach George Karl fighting neck and throat cancer.

--Members of the 1970 New York Knicks championship team marveled to the New York Daily News' Mitch Lawrence about the longevity of teammate and Lakers Coach Phil Jackson.

--Jackson may have described Kobe Bryant's play against Philadelphia as lackluster, but Mamba told The Times' Broderick Turner that he was simply just providing a facilitating role.

--Whenever he's not playing basketball, breaking down film or finding other ways to completely dominate the game, Bryant squeezes in time for NBA 2K10. If only he didn't have to carry all that heavy equipment.

--Fox Sports offers a few predictions that won't settle well with Lakers fans, including LeBron James will win the MVP and Kevin Durant will win the league's scoring title.

--Speaking of Durant, Phoenix Coach Alvin Gentry said recently that the Oklahoma City star is either better James, than Bryant or Dwyane Wade, but declined to specify who. Regardless of who it is, The Times' Mark Heisler summed up the situation this way: "Bryant and Wade may both now drop 60 on the Suns, just in case Gentry meant one of them."

--Speaking of Heisler, here are his latest NBA rankings. As you can see, the Lakers still have some work to do if they want to be considered the league's top team.

--The Denver Post's Benjamin Hochman documents how both Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups have remained dependable options this season.

--The biggest thing that will stop the Denver Nuggets from winning a championship isn't the Lakers, but themselves, wrote Fox Sports' Randy Hill.

In an interview with SportsTalkSoup, I preview the Lakers' matchup with the Nuggets. Spoiler alrert: I predict the Lakers win today by five points.

Tweet of the Day: "Denver is 24-9 vs. winning teams; 14-10 against losing teams. Selective focus." -- KevinDing (Orange County Register's Lakers writer Kevin Ding).

--Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

It doesn't take rocket science to figure out why Lakers forward Lamar Odom would change his view on the Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers had little trouble with the Nuggets, sweeping them in the first round of the 2008 NBA playoffs. Though Denver gave them a challenge early in last season's Western Conference finals, the Lakers coasted toward the latter part of the six-game series. The Nuggets' two victories against the Lakers this season changed that complexion, however. And with the Lakers (44-15) holding only a four-and-a-half-game lead for first in the Western Conference over Denver (39-19), Odom acknowledged Sunday's matinee matchup is a "huge game for us."

"Both teams probably have the same mental state as far as looking forward to really beating them because they beat us," he said after practice Saturday. "That’s how it was before when we played those guys. I think they were looking forward to playing us and beating us because we took care of them. We sort of saw it as one more game. But they changed that by beating our butts pretty good."

Odom's contention is pretty much on point. In the Nuggets' 105-79 victory on Nov. 13, Denver took advantage of a Lakers team that was coming off a back-to-back. Denver changed a two-point halftime lead into a 87-64 advantage after going on a 29-8 run to end the third quarter. It was the lowest number of points the Nuggets allowed in a quarter all season, and it led to the Lakers' worst half of the organization's history. In a 126-113 victory earlier this month, the Nuggets had no problem despite playing without Carmelo Anthony (sprained left ankle). But guard Chauncey Billups picked up the slack with a career-high 39 points, including four consecutive three pointers. 

But even with Billups' presence and the return of Anthony, who is third in the league in scoring at 29 points per game, Jackson said he's more concerned with Denver's bench. That unit features Chris "Birdman" Anderson and Ty Lawson, who are ranked the team's third and fourth most effective players. Then there's reserve guard J.R. Smith, who scored 16 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter in the last meeting against the Lakers and recently had a few choice words about Kobe Bryant on his Twitter account. The Lakers, meanwhile, are without reserves Sasha Vujacic (right shoulder) and Luke Walton (pinched nerve in lower back), and Jackson said he wasn't completely sure when they'd return.

Add in the fact that Denver is 12-3 against marquee teams, such as the Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic, and Jackson suddenly doesn't want to worry if his team will get up for this game. But he still remains uncertain whether Denver would make the Western Conference finals ("Who knows. Dallas is playing well. Utah is playing great"). 

Jackson is sure of one thing, though. He has a solution for sports fans conflicted on whether they should tune into the Team USA-Canada gold-medal hockey game or the Lakers-Nuggets matchup.

Said Jackson: "There’s so many timeouts in an NBA basketball game that you can go watch that hockey game many, many minutes. Just check out between timeouts."

-- Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Photo: Point guard Chauncey Billups and the Denver Nuggets are trying to close the gap on forward Lamar Odom and the Lakers in the race for best record in the Western Conference. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times.

There was very little to be excited about in the Lakers' 99-90 victory Friday over the Philadelphia 76ers. Coach Phil Jackson criticized his team's lacking sense of urgency and playing down to its competition. Although I had maintained Bryant was really just trying to help the team build back its chemistry in his third game since missing five contests from an injured left ankle, he didn't have the same dominating performance as he usually does. The game proved to be so boring that Silver Screen and Roll wrote in its headline. "In Future, Video of Laker Win Over 76ers to be Used as Dental Anaesthetic."

Of course, that going-through-the-motions attitude can't be on display Sunday when the Lakers host the Denver Nuggets, a contest that will have huge implications given the Nuggets' two victories against the Lakers (44-15) this season and Denver (39-19) trails the Lakers by only 4.5 games in the West.

More Lakers News

--Lakers center Andrew Bynum told reporters he knew he was going to draw a $25,000 fine for criticizing the referees after Wednesday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks. For him, it was all a matter of sticking up for himself.

--Lakers forward Lamar Odom says he avoids letting officiating calls frustrate his game by praying to God beforehand to help maintain his composure.

--The Times' Mike Bresnahan answers all your questions, everything ranging from L.O.'s sixth man role, why guard Derek Fisher won't lose his starting position and the impact of Ron Artest's signing this past offseason.

--Sports Illustrated's Paul Forrester dissects why Jackson has such a short coaching tree.

--If you have some money to spare, Bryant's cast is up for sale.

--According to SPORTSbyBROOKS, my job may be in jeopardy. As of today, I haven't gotten the pink slip.

Tweet of the Day: "Andrew Bynum says Nuggets are "super salty" after Lakers beat them in playoffs. Good. I like my rivalries with super salt." -- jaadande (ESPN's NBA Reporter J.A. Adande).

--Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Photo: Lakers guard Kobe Bryant questions why he was called for a foul in the second half Friday night. Credit: Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson

Lakers forward Pau Gasol

Lakers forward Lamar Odom

--Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

To reinforce the necessity to maintain a consistent focus through an 82-game regular season, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said he often has the team meditate. It was a practice he also said he had the team do during the morning shootaround Friday in anticipation of their matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.

"That puts you in the present moment," the Zen Master said.

Well, the meditation didn't work, or it just gave the Lakers another opportunity to think about its marquee matchup instead on Sunday with the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers' 99-90 victory Friday over the 76ers won't be shown again on ESPN Classic, or even ESPN 8 The Ocho (dodgeball tournaments have spectacular ratings, you know). Simply chalk it up to the game being a classic playing-down-to-your -opponent-and-squeaking-out-a-win type of result.

Philadelphia (22-36), who's been without Allen Iverson for the past three games because of an undisclosed illness of his daughter, featured center Samuel Dalembert scoring a team-high 24 points on 12 of 22 shooting, 17 points above his season average. Meanwhile, the Lakers (44-15) maintained only a five-point lead as late as the 3:57 mark.

Sure the 76ers' points in the paint differed from the first half (34) to the second half (22). Sure, the Lakers outscored Philadelphia in the second half, 49-39, after being outscored in the first half, 51-50. But as Jackson noted afterwards, the "game was not won on any particular action." The only consolation was that Philadelphia didn't walk away with a victory like it did last season in a Lakers' 94-93 loss, thanks to Andre Iguodala's buzzer-beater.

"I think the crowd was visiting with one another and having such a good time," Jackson jokingly offered for the reason the Lakers played so flat. "It was really the mood of Friday night in L.A."

--Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Lakers 99, Philadelphia 76ers 90 (final)

The Lakers didn't practice Thursday after playing back-to-back games that took them through Memphis and Dallas, where L.A. lost Wednesday night.

It showed in the Lakers' play Friday night against Philadelphia at Staples Center.

They were sluggish. They looked as if they were not into the game against the 76ers, who played without guard Allen Iverson, who was tending to family matters.

But the Lakers pulled the game out by having five players score in double figures.

Now the Lakers will prepare to play the Denver Nuggets on Sunday here at Staples Center. The Lakers hold a 4 1/2-game lead in the Western Conference standings over the Nuggets, who have won the first two games this season against Los Angeles.

The Lakers are 1 1/2-games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best record in the NBA.

Pau Gasol led the way for the Lakers, getting a double-double with 23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Andrew Bynum also had a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds and Kobe Bryant had 19 points and eight assists.

With 6:01 left in the game, the 76ers trailed the Lakers, 85-83, after a three-pointer by Andre Iguodala.

The Lakers weren't playing inspired basketball. They looked sluggish, so much so that their fans had little to cheer about until the game's outcome was decided in the final minutes.

-- Broderick Turner

Photo: Lakers guard Kobe Bryant tries to pass around the double-team defense of Philadelphia's Jrue Holiday (background) and Elton Brand. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

--Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Lakers center Andrew Bynum was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Friday for criticizing referees after the Lakers' 101-96 loss Wednesday at Dallas.

"It's hard to win when it's five against eight," Bynum told reporters after the game, a thinly veiled reference to the three referees.

Each team was called for 20 fouls, but the Mavericks had 26 free-throw attempts compared with 16 for the Lakers.

Bynum had a frustrating game, totaling only two points and two rebounds in the second half. He finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds, five turnovers.

--Mike Bresnahan

The Lakers are only coming off of one loss on a back-to-back, but they sure could use a pick me up. That may come tonight when the Lakers host the Philadelphia 76ers (22-35), which are pretty much out of playoff contention and are indefinitely without guard Allen Iverson, who has left to care for his sick daughter.

The Lakers better enjoy a dominating performance tonight because the schedule will become tough afterwards. They play Denver Sunday, which they've lost to twice this season and then begin a March schedule that features only four games and 11 road games, including three sets of back-to-backs. The Lakers may not be overly concerned with their recent loss to the Dallas Mavericks, but forward Pau Gasol admitted the effort needs to improve.

That can begin tonight against Philadelphia. As Silver Screen and Roll correctly observed: "Casually abusing Eastern Conference peasantry is always a nice way to unwind after a tough week in the office."

More Lakers links

--In case you haven't noticed, Lakers forward Ron Artest has gotten slimmer. The Times' Mike Bresnahan documents how Artest hopes his increased dieting and exercise will make him "one of the best defenders."

--Pat yourself on the back for this. The Orange County Register's Kevin Ding reports that the Lakers top the league in connecting with fans through social media. Fans of the Lakers blog who want the team to solidify that spot should follow the team on Facebook.

--Excited to go to a Lakers playoff game? Kurt Helin forewarns fans at ProBasketballTalk that buying tickets will cost you an arm, leg, kidney and your entire life savings.

--Helin also explained in a post on NBC Los Angeles why Lakers guard Derek Fisher is the Lakers' best option at point guard, even if it hasn't led to desirable results.

As soon as Lakers center Andrew Bynum criticized the officiating against Dallas, he met scorn from James Worthy and Jim Hill during the LTV post-game show on KCAL-9. Rob Mahoney of ProBasketballTalk takes it a step further and explains why Bynum should instead look in the mirror.

--The Lakers may have won four championships this decade, but Fox Sports doesn't rank any of those teams as the best in the past 10 years.

Tweet of the Day: "During tour of locker room, tour group got down right giddy when guide mentioned Laker Girls room. 'Can we go there?!' 'It'll cost you'" -- mcten (ESPN Los Angeles' NBA reporter Dave McMenamin on Lakers' 101 season ticket holder event).

--Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Photo: Lakers guard Kobe Bryant finishes off a dunk against forward Thaddeus Young and the 76ers in the first half Friday night. Credit: Matt Slocum/Associated Press.

Though the Lakers unanimously welcomed Kobe Bryant's return from a five-game absence because of a sprained left ankle and injured tendon, Bryant's teammates anticipated that there would be an adjustment period. The point was and has never been made among the team that the Lakers were better off without Bryant in the lineup. It was just that any team changes, good or bad, require  adjustments.

The Lakers immediately enjoyed some of the positive aspects Bryant typically brings. He netted his sixth game game-winner Tuesday against Memphis and he kept the Lakers in contention throughout the fourth quarter. Though Bryant had an overall sluggish shooting night Wednesday against Dallas possibly because of fatigue, the majority of the failed shots were rooted more in attempts falling short than him selfishly hogging the shooting pie. But there has been one negative consequence upon Bryant's return, and that's the team's defense.

Consider the numbers: the Lakers (43-15) held opponents during Bryant's five-game absence to 86.6 points, a mark that ranked second-best in the league and was a near 10-point improvement from their regular season average in yielding 96.2 points per game. In the Lakers' two games since Bryant's return, the Lakers allowed an average of 99.5 points per game.

This problem doesn't point to Bryant, but more the team's reaction to his return. Lakers Coach Phil Jackson and guard Derek Fisher had frequently mentioned one of the key factors that ensured a collective effort during Bryant's absence entailed sharpening up on defense. The theory was that if most of the team felt involved offensively, that energy would carry over on the defensive end and create synergy. The defensive philosophy also extended to the fact that without Bryant's scoring punch, there may be a chance points would be hard to come by, making it necessary to limit the opponent's production whenever possible.

Beyond the usual, "I'm fine," "It's OK," and "It is what it is," statements Lakers guard Kobe Bryant typically makes regarding his injuries, he recently added an extra wrinkle. "I feel like a gazelle," he said Monday when he knew for sure he was going to return to the lineup after missing the previous five games because of a left ankle sprain and sore tendon.

He'll still be known as the Black Mamba in the minds of Lakers fans, but Bryant's "gazelle" comment raised questions (at least in my mind) as to what other animals could rightfully be associated with Bryant.

I'm by no means an animal expert, and the grades in my biology classes prove it. But I figured I'd contact people who are to lend their insight. Los Angeles Zoo spokesperson Jason Jacobs provided me a rundown on the different behaviors of certain animals and Dana Brown, director of human resources at the L.A. Zoo and a Lakers fan, explained how they are comparable to Bryant's play.  

Another game, another day where the Lakers struggle defending the perimeter. The latest beneficiary of such a collapse was Dallas reserve guard Jason Terry, who scored 30 points on 10 of 20 shooting in the Lakers' 101-96 loss Wednesday to the Mavericks.

It's one thing for someone like Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki to score 31 points. He hasn't exactly eclipsed 20,000 career points by accident. It's another for Terry to drop 30; he became a sixth man when Dallas  acquired Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood,  and had shot 31% in that role. With Butler out Wednesday (medical issues),  Terry did just fine. Below is exactly how the Lakers allowed Terry to have his second-best performance this month.

There were too many ways to dissect the Lakers' 101-96 loss Wednesday to the Dallas Mavericks.

They were coming off a back-to-back and looked tired. Little things, or pokes, such as rebounding, turnovers and free throws, also became a factor. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant couldn't bail the team out with another game-winning shot. The play from point guard Derek Fisher remained an issue, but the Orange County Register's Kevin Ding argues plugging Shannon Brown or Jordan Farmar aren't better alternatives. Let's not forget the poor defense. All in all, it was a bad team effort.

Meanwhile, Dallas put together a performance that proves it's a contender in the Western Conference even if the Lakers say they're not too concerned with the Mavs. Nonetheless' the Mavericks' effort led ESPN Los Angeles' John Ireland to think a Mavericks-Lakers matchup would make for a great playoff series.

More Lakers links 

With so much not to like in the Lakers' 101-96 loss Wednesday to the Dallas Mavericks, the film session will likely be brutal and tedious.

You can break down the plays in the final minutes. You can break down the 17 turnovers. And you can break down the shoddy defense on reserve Jason Terry (30 points).

What's most egregious, however, entailed the Lakers' getting outrebounded, 41-36, a rare occurrence given that they rank second in the league in the category. The Mavericks are 14th.

There were 13 instances in which the Lakers simply got beat to rebounds, which led to 29  points by the Mavericks. And after reviewing the game, it's clear that these lapses on the glass were preventable.

It'd be convenient to chalk up the Lakers' 101-96 loss Wednesday to the Dallas Mavericks as a consequence that comes with playing on a back-to-back. But many of the mistakes that put the Lakers on the losing end had more to do with effort.

It'd be convenient to point to the Lakers' depleted rotation, with the absence of Sasha Vujacic (sore right shoulder) and Luke Walton (pinched nerve in lower back) exacerbating the team's low energy level, a quality that may have already been low because of the road travels. But the Lakers had four days of rest beforehand, Dallas played without recently acquired Caron Butler (the team called it "reaction to medicine") and since when did fans really lament Vujacic's and Walton's absence?

It'd be convenient to point to the free throw discrepancies (the Lakers went 15-of-16 while Dallas finished 23-of-26), a factor center Andrew Bynum mentioned to reporters afterwards. But how about pointing to something you can control? The Lakers lost the battle for offensive rebounds, 13-7, they committted 17 turnovers and they had inconsistent performances throughout the game.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant had only six points on 3 of 11 shooting in the first half, but rebounded in the second half, finishing with 20 points on nine of 23 shooting along with five rebounds, two assists and two steals. The Lakers' frontline made up for Bryant's sluggish start, with Lamar Odom and Ron Artest each finishing with 11 first-half points while Bynum had eight points and seven rebounds in the first quarter. But Artest and Bynum went noticably absent in the second half, scoring only two points each. And while you may expect 31 points from Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki, you certainly wouldn't expect 30 points from backup guard Jason Terry. 

Be weary of the talking point that says the Lakers' (43-15) latest loss is just one game, worry about the remaining 24 contests and remember the season is a marathon and not a sprint. Aside from the fact that the last argument seems to be bolstered mostly after Lakers losses, this game was more important since Dallas is likely a team the Lakers will meet in the postseason. Don't forget the loss also puts the Lakers one game behind Cleveland (44-14) for the league's best record.