Los Angeles » They are still the defending champions, even with Kobe Bryant spending all night in the trainer's room and Shannon Brown in the starting lineup. In fact, the Los Angeles Lakers might have looked the part even more so in recent days.
With Bryant missing his first games in nearly three years on account of a sprained left ankle, the Lakers have responded with emphatic victories in his absence, ending a nine-game losing streak in Portland, then beating a full-strength San Antonio team 101-89 on Monday.
Bryant made an appearance in the locker room after the victory over the Spurs but couldn't guarantee he would play Wednesday when the Lakers visit the Jazz. Bryant had played in 235 consecutive games before sitting out Saturday for the first time since March 7, 2007.
"I don't know what the hell players are supposed to do back here, so I just got treatment on it the whole game," Bryant said. He added that he couldn't push off on his ankle and that he couldn't have played in the All-Star Game had it been Monday.
Although the Lakers would welcome it if Bryant opted to rest his ankle through the All-Star break, coach Phil Jackson said, "He's not just going to sit out just because it might extend the duration which he doesn't have to play."
The Lakers, meanwhile, issued a reminder of their depth without Bryant, as well as starting center Andrew Bynum, who missed Monday's game with a bruised right hip.
After spotting the Spurs a 9-0 lead and giving up a 34-point first quarter, the Lakers held San Antonio to just 55 points the rest of the night. Pau Gasol led with 21 points, 19 rebounds, eight assists and five blocks as five players scored in double figures.
"I think it's got to be reassuring to the rest of the team," Gasol said, "and the guys that don't play as much that are now stepping up and having to pull up a different role without obviously Kobe and Andrew out there."
Gasol hit left- and right-handed shots back-to-back over Tim Duncan and had a three-point play off a lob in the third quarter as the Lakers broke open the game with a 14-4 run. He blocked three shots by DeJuan Blair and Duncan in the fourth quarter.
"That's something that we've talked about is them being able to step up and perform," Bryant said. "It doesn't put any pressure on me to have to come back early and I can take my time and make sure [the ankle's] healthy."
The Lakers (40-13) became the second team to reach 40 victories this season after Cleveland. They took a 42-10 record into the All-Star break last season and will head to Utah looking to avenge a 102-94 loss on Dec. 12 that ended an 11-game winning streak.
"We're cognizant of the fact that we went up there the last time and lost and now they're playing very well and they've got people back in the lineup," Jackson said.
"They're playing, I think, maybe the best ball in the West right now of the teams and that's saying a lot because there's a lot of teams that are playing well."
Jackson mentioned the Jazz's recent run - eight victories in a row and 12 of 13 games entering Tuesday - as well as the fact they trail second-place Denver by just one loss in the conference standings.
"People don't really see Utah as right there, but they are," Jackson said.
The Lakers went just 5-3 on their recently completed trip, losing to Cleveland, Toronto and Memphis. They own a comfortable five-game lead in the conference, but Jackson disagreed that the Lakers weren't being pushed for a second consecutive season.
"We don't feel like it's that way," Jackson said. "I know it's four games or whatever with Denver, but they've beaten us twice and we don't feel like we're sitting out here all by ourselves. Maybe we are, but it feels like we still have to keep playing and winning."
Lamar Odom, who started and had 16 points and 10 rebounds while spinning, driving and dunking his way through Monday's game, said Jackson recently talked about the 2000-2001 Lakers.
That team went just 56-26 - compared to 67-15 the season before - but dropped only one game as part of a 15-1 romp through the playoffs to a second consecutive championship. This season's Lakers might be following a similar path.
"Winning a championship might have made us a little cocky and when you're cocky you're susceptible to lose games that you shouldn't," Odom said. "We have to just change that into confidence."
