Game Stories

-- The Times' Mike Bresnahan chalks up the Lakers' 124-121 victory over Golden State to the team's usual display of complacency.

-- The Orange County Register's Kevin Ding points to the Lakers' poor pick-and-roll defense as the main reason they struggled getting the win.

-- NBA.com's Geoff Lepper explains why Kobe Bryant isn't going to take much away from the ugly win.

-- The San Francisco Chronicle's Rusty Simmons quotes Warriors center Chris Hunter blaming the loss to the Lakers on the "Invisible Man."

-- The Daily News' Elliott Teaford highlighted many of the Lakers' shortcomings they eventually overcame.

-- The Oakland Tribune's Marcus Thompson II reports Warriors guard Stephen Curry asked Lakers guard Kobe Bryant if he was worried in the final moments of the game. Bryant responded with a snicker.

Notebooks

-- The Times' Mike Bresnahan notes a few issues, including the Lakers' number of hand injuries, their admiration for the Portland Trail Blazers, the NCAA men's basketball tournament and Pau Gasol's hard foul on Phoenix center Louis Admunson being upgraded to a flagrant foul Type I.

-- The Daily News' Elliott Teaford reports Lakers guard Derek Fisher believes the team is on its upside and has enough time to improve before the regular season ends.

Columns

-- The Orange County Register's Kevin Ding explains why the relationship between Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol is strong.

Blogs

-- For the zero defense the Lakers and Warriors put on display, the performance inevitably brought back memories of playing NBA Jam. Well, there's a new version coming out (kudos to SB Nation)

-- Ball Don't Lie's Trey Kerby likes how Gasol looks without any braces.

-- ESPN Los Angeles' Brian Kamenetzky doesn't like to place too much important on one contest in an 82-game schedule, but he considered Lakers' play against Golden State too troubling to ignore.

-- Forum Blue and Gold went to the game and had a good time.

-- Golden State of Mind argues that Warriors Coach Don Nelson is the right man for the job, even if others don't believe so.

-- Lakers.com's Mike Trudell has a running diary of the Lakers' game.

-- Silver Screen and Roll is impressed with Curry, but not so much with the Lakers.

League rankings

-- ESPN's John Hollinger provides his latest calculations.

-- Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix predicts the Lakers won't be able to keep pace with the Dallas Mavericks.

-- Hoopsworld's Eric Pincus explains why the Lakers' three-game winning streak doesn't warrant the team moving up in the rankings.

-- ESPN's Marc Stein dissects Bryant's shot selection.

Tweet of the Day: "You'll see better defense in pickup games at Venice Beach." - Mike_Bresnahan (The Times' Lakers beat writer Mike Bresnahan on the team's poor defense against Golden State).

Reader Comment of the Day: "just played it all and there were about 5 too much info moments on it. Lamar has the best smile though, he is a great interview along with being a funny guy." -- CyberCosmiX on Lakers forward Lamar Odom and wife Khloe Kardashian appearing on "Lopez Tonight."

--Mark Medina

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

Photo: The Lakers' starting five -- from left, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum and Kobe Bryant -- gather after a foul was called against the Warriors on Monday night. Credit: Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images.

A case study involving the Lakers' undisciplined and careless nature only requires 8.6 seconds of your time. This example involves Golden State guard Stephen Curry inbounding the ball to Corey Maggette. As Maggette flashed to the top of the key, the slight contact threw off Lakers guard Shannon Brown, causing Derek Fisher to close off on Maggette to deny an open look. But that just created an open shot for Curry, whose open trey hit back iron.

The Lakers thought they avoided overtime, but not quite. Neither Lakers guard Kobe Bryant nor forward Pau Gasol boxed out guard Monta Ellis, who grabbed the rebound and then raced out to the top of the key in hopes to tie the game up. With 1.7 seconds remaining, Ellis launched a three-pointer that hit off the front rim and then twice off the back iron.

You really only need to see the final play to recognize the Lakers' carelessness, but they displayed that characteristic throughout the game. The Lakers walked away from Oracle Arena Monday with a 124-121 victory over Golden State, effectively sweeping the season series against the Warriors. But it's nothing the Lakers (49-18) should be boasting about one bit. The win gave them a four-game cushion for first place in the Western Conference standings, thanks to Denver's 125-123 loss Monday to Houston. But is this really how you want to stake your claim in the Western Conference?

Lakers 124, Golden State Warriors 121 (final)

After a slow start, after trying to run up and down the court with the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers slowed things down in the second half to escape with a victory, but only after the Warriors missed two last-second three-pointers for a possible tie.

Even with that, a Kobe Bryant turnover late led to a three-pointer by Monta Ellis that cut the Lakers' lead to 121-119.

The Warriors double-teamed Bryant, who had 29 points, forcing him to pass the ball to Shannon Brown, who was fouled.

Brown made two free throws with 13.9 seconds left for a 123-119 Lakers lead.

But when Bryant made one of two free throws for a 124-121 Lakers lead with 8.6 seconds left, that left the door open for the Warriors.

Stephen Curry, who had 29 points and is one of the leading candidates for rookie of the year, missed a three-pointer.

Ellis ran down the rebound, but his three-pointer for the tie bounded off the rim three times before it rolled away.

The Lakers had no problems scoring against the Warriors. But it was their defense that seemed to suffer.

All the way until the end of the game, the Warriors pressed the Lakers' defense.

When Corey Maggette made a three-pointer, the Warriors had pulled to within 101-100 late in the fourth quarter.

-- Broderick Turner, reporting from Oakland

Photo: Golden State guard Monta Ellis tries to steal the ball after Lakers guard Kobe Bryant drives past him in the first half Monday night. Credit: Ben Margot / Associated Press

--Mark Medina

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

Those tabloid magazines wanting scoops on the marriage of Lakers forward Lamar Odom and reality TV star Khloe Kardashian don't need to use anonymous sources for a while. The tidbits Odom and Kardashian recently shared on "Lopez Tonight" should provide enough copy for the time being.

Among the tidbits: Odom shared his conversation with President Obama about marriage. Odom manages to eat candy often in his sleep. And Kardashian taught herself how to wax.

A week from now, the Lakers will embark on a five-game trip that includes matchups with three playoff- caliber opponents. That's why the Lakers better enjoy this week while they can. Their four games are all against sub-.500 opponents, including a back-to-back starting Monday night at Golden State, followed by a game Tuesday at Sacramento. Then there's a set of home games Friday against Minnesota and Sunday against Washington.

In the end, the Lakers always got the results they wanted this season against Golden State, taking three games so far. But that's not so much an accomplishment as it is a confirmation of the Lakers' season-series dominance since the 1994-95 season. The Warriors are 18-47, have had players miss a combined 389 games due to injuries and have called up five D-League players this season, the most of any team since the San Antonio Spurs during the 2007-08 campaign. No wonder Toronto forward Chris Bosh had plenty to say after the Raptors lost Saturday to the Warriors, marking Golden State's fifth victory in its last 24 games.

The Lakers haven't suffered that same fate, but the sausage-making process in two of the three contests has been far from pretty. The only exception entailed the first matchup, a 132-106 victory Nov. 28. It was a game that featured the Lakers' highest scoring effort since a 26-point victory in February 2009 against Phoenix, with seven players scoring in double figures and a punishable 62 points in the paint, led by Pau Gasol's 22 points and 12 rebounds. The other contests -- a 124-118 victory Dec. 29 and a 104-94 win Feb. 16 -- weren't decided until the final minutes, a habit the team wants to avoid so that it sustains its energy level and builds good habits for the final 16 games of the regular season.  

Practice reports

--The Times' Mike Bresnahan looks at Lakers forward Pau Gasol suddenly becoming a tough guy.

--The Orange County Register's Janis Carr has an update on Jordan Farmar's left pinky.

--ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin on why the Lakers want to end the season on a high note.

--The Daily News' Elliott Teaford on Ron Artest's assessment that the Lakers have put their sluggishness behind them.

--Lakers.com's Mike Trudell looks at the team's upcoming back-to-back against Golden State and Sacramento.

Blogs

--ESPN Los Angeles' Andy and Brian Kamenetzky have an insightful Q&A; with Lakers guard Derek Fisher on a possible post-playing career in coaching.

--Wanna quickly catch up on the Lakers' past performances against Golden State? Forum Blue and Gold has got you covered, providing highlight reels of each game.

More links

--If the Warriors had their way, the San Jose Mercury News' Marcus Thompson II says, they would vote Kobe Bryant to be the league MVP.

--Mercury News columnist Tim Kawakami lists his reasons why Golden State Coach Don Nelson should be fired.

--Dime Magazine put together a list of Kobe agitators.

Tweet of the Day: "Dear Peter Graves Rest In Peace fellow Palisadian. Condolences to his family" -- JeanieBuss (Lakers Executive Vice President of Business Operations Jeanie Buss).

Reader Comment of the Day: "Have you noticed that when Kobe Bryant does something spectacular (which is his nature) the first person he goes to celebrate with is Josh Powell? To me, that says something positive about Josh Powell. If Kobe enjoys and respects him, he deserves respect. Give the guy more minutes." -- Jon K.

--Mark Medina

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

Photo: Lakers center Andrew Bynum goes up for a dunk against the Suns in the first half Friday night. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas/US Presswire.

It's been a "roller coaster ride so far," said Lakers forward Ron Artest, summing up the Lakers season. At one point, the acceleration became too much to handle.

Artest wasn't speaking specifically about his own situation, instead lumping his arrival in the offseason into "all the excitement that was around this season," with the Lakers having a strong chance to repeat their 2009 championship run.

Artest certainly fed into it, introducing himself at his introductory news conference, where he talked about things including TMZ, his idol Michael Jackson, the infamous Brawl at the Palace and, of course, joining the Lakers.

The excitement continued as the Lakers coasted through the early part of the season. They didn't suffer double-digit losses until late January, and it initially appeared the road to repeat would be as easy as taking a victory lap.

But then the reality of the 82-game season set in, the point where team success often is based on knowing how to pace through the grind rather than on winning on talent. That, of course, becomes a bigger factor when complacency kicks into gear, an attitude Artest says he felt he partially contributed to.

"It was easy. That’s how it was early. We kept saying it. I kept saying that," Artest said after practice Sunday in El Segundo. "Instead of saying we got to get better and saying we have a tough game ahead of us, we kept reflecting on the last game. That was too easy. Now we’re playing like we’re being hunted instead of playing like we’re being on top."

The standings certainly reflect that. The Lakers (48-18) lead the Western Conference by a narrow margin, holding only a three-game lead over Denver (45-21), a three-and-a-half game edge over Dallas (45-22) and six-game cushion over Utah (42-24). And that race with Cleveland for the best record? The Cavaliers (52-15) are pretty comfortable with that, making it probably the only time in history the Lakers rooted for the Boston in its game Sunday against the Cavaliers. But it was to no avail. Cleveland beat the Celtics, 104-93, and Boston has been left justifying its season by reading a column from Times columnist Bill Plaschke that criticizes the Lakers' lack of urgency. It left them thinking, at least it's not just us who are playing poorly.

And as far as the Lakers being in a tight race for playoff seedings? Artest acknowledged the reality that the Lakers could' have avoided that scenario.

"At the beginning of the season, nobody had a chance and then we gave everybody a chance," he said. "So now it’s like, 'OK, let’s go back and play the right way.' We’ll do that and we’ll be OK now. I think we’ll be OK. That last game got us moving in the right direction."

As he approached the small gathering of reporters following Sunday's practice in El Segundo, Lakers forward Pau Gasol let out a smile. There's not a better feeling knowing your Crest-kid friendly teeth no longer have braces, a two-and-a-half year venture that ended Thursday morning when they were removed just before the team's trip to Phoenix.

"Hopefully I don't get popped in the mouth and lose a couple of teeth," Gasol joked.

A reporter had an immediate comeback, suggesting that may happen since he's been throwing elbows lately, most notably his hard foul in the Lakers' 102-96 victory Friday against the Phoenix Suns. In that game, Gasol made a hard foul with 5:06 remaining in the fourth quarter on Phoenix backup center Louis Amundson across his face after he received a pass from guard Steve Nash inside. Suns Coach Alvin Gentry ran to the mid-court line and immediately told officials they should've given Gasol a flagrant foul. Instead, they ejected Gentry, who had to be restrained from his coaching staff and Phoenix guard Jason Richardson.

After watching the replay, Gasol admitted he thought the call should've been a flagrant foul. But he simply called the play "an accident," and that it was just part of his intention to play more aggressively.

Notebooks

The Times' Broderick Turner reports the Lakers aren't worried about the progress Dallas and Denver are making in the Western Conference standings.

The Orange County Register's Kevin Ding quotes Ron Artest as saying he's planning to add new wrinkles to his game when his three-point shooting is off.

ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin reports the Lakers are embracing their upcoming road schedule

The Daily News' Elliott Teaford says the Lakers believe this road-heavy March schedule will prepare them well for the playoffs.

More Lakers links

The Times' Mark Heisler argues that Kobe Bryant is the league's best clutch shooter.

Forum Blue and Gold dissects the Lakers' performance at the point guard position.

Fox Sports' John Galinsky worries that Bryant's game winners this season masked some of the Lakers' problems.

The Onion satirically reports that Orlando Coach Stan Van Gundy handed out books for players to read. His inspiration, of course, came from Lakers Coach Phil Jackson.

Kenny Smith shares on Yahoo! Sports that Lakers fans shouldn't worry about the team's recent skid.

Tweet of the Day: "Suns forward @Amareisreal (Amare Stoudemire) gives the edge to the Lakers as the best team he's faced this season; narrowing out the Cavs. -- PhoenixSuns (Team's official Twitter page)

Photo Caption Comment of the Day: "Spanish Fly-Swatter!!!" -- Nemaia Faletogo on Pau Gasol's hard foul on Phoenix backup center Louis Amundson.

Reader Comment of the Day: "Glad to see that the lake show pulled the win out yesterday, and they played like some jerks as well (elbows, hard fouls, general irritation). Hopefully the nastiness continues through the rest of the season." -- Caliphilosopher

--Mark Medina

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

Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas/US Presswire.

For too long, Lakers forward Pau Gasol has had to battle the perception of being a soft player. The criticism rang true when Boston forward Kevin Garnett muscled him inside in the 2008 NBA Finals, but since then, some analysts often regurgitated that talking point whenever he had a bad game.

In reality, Gasol fits a finesse role than an imposing inside presence. And even if there have been times, such as this past month, where he hasn't played aggressively enough, that doesn't make him soft.

He made a significant step toward shattering that long held perception in the Lakers' 102-96 victory Friday over the Phoenix Suns. With 5:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, Gasol hit Phoenix backup center Louis Amundson across the face after receiving a pass from guard Steve Nash inside. Amundson fell down on the ground before Gasol and Ron Artest helped him up, igniting the crowd at Phoenix's US Airways Center.

The strongest reaction came from Suns Coach Alvin Gentry, who approached the mid-court line and angrily told officials that it was a flagrant foul. Instead of calling a flagrant foul, referees gave Gentry two technicals, a decision that upset Gentry so much that he had to be restrained from his coaching staff and Phoenix guard Jason Richardson.

Though the play was a hard foul, replays didn't show Gasol reacting with any malicious intent, a sentiment Lakers guard Kobe Bryant shared with reporters.

"Pau gave a hard foul, which is what we like to see from him," Bryant said. "We're not giving up layups and giving up easy opportunities. It's just playing hard. It's not playing dirty, it's just not giving up anything easy."

And since we have a photograph showing the foul, we're opening it up the thread for another Photo Caption contest. The best comment will be featured in tomorrow's links post. 

--Mark Medina

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

Photo: Lakers power forward Pau Gasol fouls Suns forward-center Louis Amundson across the head during the second half Friday night. Credit: Matt York / Associated Press.

Game Stories

The Times' Mike Bresnahan found the Lakers' 102-96 victory Friday over the Phoenix Suns to be much needed.

The Orange County Register's Kevin Ding lauds the team's consistent effort.

ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin chalks up the win to the Lakers playing with more of a sense of urgency.

With the Lakers victory, The Daily News' Elliott Teaford said the team regained some of its swagger back.

Even though the Suns treated their matchup with the Lakers as a playoff game, the Arizona Republic's Bob Young says Phoenix's lacking energy level contributed to the loss.

Notebooks

The Times' Mike Bresnahan says Andrew Bynum's improved efficiency this week came from his matchup Sunday with Orlando center Dwight Howard.

ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin on why the team is looking forward to its road heavy schedule, and how Lakers forward Luke Walton may have a future in coaching someday.

The Riverside Press Enterprise's Gregg Patton on why Phoenix Suns Coach Alvin Gentry considers Lakers guard Kobe Bryant to be the best closer ever, the health status of Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar and why the Lakers' recent slide may not be indicative of how they'll do in the playoffs.

Columns

The Riverside Press Enterprise's Gregg Patton suddenly sees the Lakers playing like a team again.

Bryant won't take the bait and respond to Gasol's public criticisms about shooting the ball too much. But he makes it clear to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski that the discussion involving whether the Lakers were playing better without him during his absence is completely misguided.

Blogs

Forum Blue and Gold thinks the Lakers established a good blueprint in their victory over Phoenix: "When the ball moves and everyone gets involved, the Lakers are a tough team to beat."

ESPN Los Angeles' Andy Kamenetzky credits the Lakers' effort against Phoenix, but he notices too many examples of shoddy execution.

Even with the team's recent struggles, The Dallas Morning News' Craig Miller still picks the Lakers to win the NBA championship.

Silver Screen and Roll wouldn't present the Lakers' win on an instructional tape, but the victory was all the Lakers needed.

More Lakers links

This really captures the scenery as reporters hover around Bryant's locker following the Lakers' 109-107 victory Tuesday over Toronto. It's a real exercise to get good positioning in these scrums. So I'm glad, at least this time, I had the inside track.

The Times' Mike Bresnahan muses over Twitter postings during the Lakers' loss last week to Charlotte, almost gives out his ex-girlfriend's number to a reader and explains why the Lakers can't sign LeBron James.

Roland Lazenby explains at Lakernoise why the Lakers' triangle offense may be vanish before you know it.

How the Celtics felt inspired about a column from The Times' Bill Plaschke that criticized the Lakers' lack of urgency.

Tweet of the Day:"Best description I've heard about Vujacic from a teammate last year was a compliment & insult at same time: "He's a stubborn f..." -- mcten (ESPN Los Angeles' NBA reporter Dave McMenamin)

Reader Comment of the Day:"Looks like we had pretty even shot distribution, some clutch shots made by different players, some clutch defensive plays, some aggressive fouls given out, and most important, a win on the road. Most of the complaining lately has been about the things that the Lakers did well and improved on last night. This game was a good step in the right direction compared to recent play. I'll bet there were a few teams not too thrilled to see the Lakers play like they did." -- Art-FL Laker Fan.

--Mark Medina

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

Photo: Lakers forward Ron Artest puts on the brakes as Suns forward-center Louis Amundson cuts off his drive in the second half Friday night. Credit: Matt York/Associated Press.

It's too early to say of what significance the Lakers' 102-96 victory Friday over the Phoenix Suns will ultimately mean. It's too early to say whether it will serve as the turning point toward sharper performances to close out the regular season. And it's too early to say whether this is just another example of the Lakers' inconsistency.

It's isn't too early to say, however, that the Lakers effort was convincing even if the execution wasn't always present. For the time being, that's all the Lakers needed. They needed it after losing their last four road games. They needed it so they could collect a signature win against a playoff caliber opponent. And, of course, they needed it so the Lakers (48-18) could maintain leads over Dallas (45-21), Denver (44-21) and Utah (42-23) in the Western Conference standings with 16 games remaining in the regular season.

I had maintained for the past month or so that the Lakers' development by the end of the season will bode more importance than wins or losses, though securing home-court advantage in the post season is always a nice bonus. The Lakers made progress in that area. They showcased at Phoenix a product that's far from finished, but it's the first step from moving past the uninspired performances that had plagued the team in the past month.

"It was much much better than we had played," Lakers guard Kobe Bryant told KCAL-9's John Ireland. "We played harder. We contested shots. The shots they made were tough plays for them. All in all, it was a good road win."

Lakers 102, Phoenix Suns 96 (final)

The Lakers had lost four consecutive road games, leaving some to say the defending NBA champions might be in a little trouble.

Well, with all five starters scoring in double figures, the Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center on Friday night.

Kobe Bryant led the way, nearly getting a triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Andrew Bynum had 18 points and Ron Artest, Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher each had 15 points.

The game grew a little tense in the fourth quarter, starting when Pau Gasol had a hard foul on Louis Amundson, knocking him to the floor with a blow to his head.

Suns Coach Alvin Gentry ran onto the court yelling at the officials, "That's a flagrant foul." None was called, but Gentry, who was restrained by his players, got two technical fouls and was ejected from the game.

The Lakers built a 15-point lead in the third quarter, but saw the Suns close that gap to four points before the start of the fourth.

That's when the Lakers knew they had a game on their hands.

The Lakers were having problems stopping Amundson, a reserve forward/center who had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

-- Broderick Turner, reporting from Phoenix

Photo: Lakers guard Kobe Bryant pulls up for a jump shot over Suns guard Jason Richardson in the first half Friday night. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas / US Presswire

--Mark Medina

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

Chalk this up as the latest example of the Lakers' disparity between their record at home (30-5) and on the road (17-13). But since they visit Phoenix tonight, the stark differences between the Lakers' performance against the Suns at home and on the road should be most worrisome.

The Lakers are 2-1 against Phoenix, with each team winning at home. And it only takes a glance at the scoreboard to know that being at home has its advantages when these two teams face each other. The Lakers took the first two meetings, winning 101-102 on Nov. 12 and 108-88 on Dec. 6. They then lost at US Airways Arena Dec. 28 by a score of 118-103. This trend between Phoenix and the Lakers actually go beyond this season. The Lakers are 16-6 all-time against the Suns at Staples Center, but they have gone 3-7 in their last regular season visits to Phoenix. Let's not forget the Lakers inability to get past Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs in 2006 and 2007, series that featured the Lakers losing six of those seven road games.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant had done his part, as indicated by the following stat lines in the three games this eason: 29 points, 26 points and 34 points. As far as this season is concerned, there are two factors that proved to be the difference between the Lakers two wins and one loss against Phoenix.

Whether it's good, bad, indifferent, overly critical, overly optimistic, completely on point, wildly speculative or just plain absurd, every comment posted on the L.A. Times Lakers blog reveals an interesting snap shot about a fan's perspective over the course of the season. I have noticed in amusement that the volume of comments seem to increase after a Lakers loss, a Kobe Bryant clutch performance or an issue involving Bryant that leaves fans split, such as his shot selection, his want to play through injuries, etc. Though the reactions can fluctuate through the ebb and flow over the course of an 82-game season, there are evolving storylines that remain consistent within that daily conversation.

Of course, that will always be the case during a long season, and coaches, players and fans alike, constantly provide reminders that it's way too long of a stretch to derive anything definitive off the latest snapshot. Nonetheless, most big picture assessments come after each month, after 41 games, after the All-Star break and heading into the playoffs. 

There's no particular date right now that serves as that kind of benchmark. But I thought this week was a perfect time to provide a litany of polls highlighting various issues for three reasons. One, the Lakers just recently came off a three-game losing streak, a feat they kept intact ever since Feb. 2008 when they acquired Pau Gasol from Memphis. Two, the Lakers are in the middle of a road-heavy schedule, as eight of their remaining 10 games in March will be away from Staples Center, including tonight's game at Phoenix. And three, the Western Conference standings are tightening up with the Lakers (47-18) currently ahead by two-and-a-half games over Dallas (45-21), three-and-a-half games over Denver (43-21) and four-and-a-half games over Utah (42-22) for first place in the Western Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Lakers are three games behind Cleveland (50-15) for the league's best record.

And after parsing through the results this morning, it appears that Lakers fans who voted feel cautiously optimistic about the the rest of the season.

Practice reports

The Times' Broderick Turner says tonight's game against Phoenix is a good time for the Lakers to start getting their swagger back.

The Orange County Register's Janis Carr highlights the Lakers' serious tone as of late.

ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin focuses on the Lakers' concern regarding its pick-and-roll defense, and how that will present an additional challenge against Phoenix.

The Riverside Press Enterprise's Dan Weber on how the Lakers are trying to close out the regular season on a good note.

The Arizona Republic's Bob Young reports there will be a few absences from the Suns roster tonight, including guard Leandro Barbosa (right wrist injury) and center Channing Frye (fight)

Blogs

Bright Side of the Sun previews the Lakers-Suns game.

ESPN Los Angeles' Brian Kamenetzky presents some revealing evidence to show the Lakers' offense this season is not as dominant their championship teams.

Meanwhile, Silver Screen and Roll provides strong evidence showing Fisher's game has struggled this season more on offense than on defense, though both areas need to be sharpened.

More Lakers links

The Times' Mike Bresnahan shares reasons beyond the matchup why he'd like to see the Lakers face Phoenix in the playoffs.

NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper says the Lakers' current state of adversity will ultimately benefit them in the long run.

CBSSports.com's Jarney Eisenberg explains why the Lakers are frustrating for fantasy owners.

Young sees a wild Western Conference playoff race shaping up.

Tweet of the Day: "All 200 responses said u hate Kobe more the Jordan cuz of his ego mostly and that the lakers are our rival" -- JaredDudley619 (Phoenix Suns forward Jared Dudley)

Reader Comment of the Day: "I don't know if it's injuries, age, or just too much BBall the last 2 years, but Kobe and Gasol, both looked gassed to me. The other thing is outside shooting. We can't seem to hit our open 3s and it seems like teams are throwing a lot of zones at us. They just need to win the West and forget about catching the Cavs, get healthy and get some chemistry going for the playoff run." -- Mark G

--Mark Medina

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

Photo: Despite numerous reports suggesting otherwise as last month's trade deadline approached, forward Amare Stoudemire remained in a Phoenix Suns uniform. Credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images.

It had become the point of emphasis during last week's meeting where the Lakers aired out several concerns. And it's something that will be most pressing tonight when the Lakers visit Phoenix.

That issue, of course, involves defending screen and rolls. It's an area Lakers Coach Phil Jackson acknowledged the team has struggled perfecting, though he noted after practice Thursday "that we feel like we're improving as a basketball team." That most recently includes Andrew Bynum's effort on defending screen and rolls in Tuesday's win against Toronto.

It won't get any easier, though, when the Lakers play the Suns, which feature Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire running screen and rolls to perfection. The New York Times' Jonathan Abrams recently cited a five-year analysis by Synergy Sports Technology that said the league's use of the pick and roll increased from 15.6% in the 2004-05 season to 18.6% last season. The same study also listed the league's players that use it the most. Who topped the list? Nash, who shows in the video below just how effective he runs the screen and roll.

Moments after Lakers guard Kobe Bryant hit his sixth game winner of the season Tuesday against Toronto, the Staples Center atmosphere peaked and then died down as quickly as Bryant's shot dropped through the net.

Sure, Bryant's fist pump with forward Pau Gasol, his hug with forward Josh Powell and his high fives with other teammates showed the team's satisfaction with the result. But the stoic manner in which the Lakers reacted afterwards also showed the dissatisfaction with the team's overall performance.

The near expressionless reactions after the game also may have signified the Lakers are going through a grinding part of the schedule, but Bryant said that wasn't the case.

"I don't think so," said Bryant, who, according to Elias Sports Bureau, has the most game winning shots in a single season over the last 10 years. "I think it's that I hit six of them and everybody is kind of used to it."

The Lakers (47-18) are also getting used to traveling on the road. But they haven't gotten used to winning there, going only 17-13 in away games so far this season, including last week's winless three-game trip. The travels continue Friday against the Phoenix Suns (40-25), as eight of the Lakers' 10 remaining games in March will be on the road.

It's a good thing if the team's contention rings true that fatigue isn't an issue with 17 games remaining in the regular season, despite there being a few factors that would understandably contribute to such a low energy level. The Lakers have numerous injuries, including ones to Bryant (right index finger), Gasol (left hand), Ron Artest (left thumb), Shannon Brown (right thumb) and Jordan Farmar (left pinkie). They have also played five games in less than a week.