The chip on the shoulder was starting to get bothersome so the Los Angeles Lakers finally flexed some frontline muscle as they downed the LA Clippers 96-91 at Staples Center. In the process, the Lakers appeared a little bit more self-assured of themselves after finally defeating their roomies from down-the-hall. The game itself was just another regular season contest but for Laker fans, this was a must-win for the purple and gold. The Lakers played with aggressiveness and energy not seen in recent weeks, perhaps egged on by all of the trash-talking the Clips were busy doing. It got chippy right away as the pushing and shoving led to some heated exchanges. And at the center of all the ruckus was none other than Metta World Peace.

There was a Ron Artest sighting at Staples Center as Metta World Peace set the tone and delivered when he was called upon. Copyrights may apply. All rights reserved.

World Peace (3 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block in 38-minutes) was inspired tonight, playing with passion and brute force that had Staples Center jumping out of their seats. His physical play set the tone and he had a hand in almost every single big play. When he wasn’t diving after loose balls or dishing off dimes for easy baskets, he was busy deflecting the pressure off of his teammates by making himself the focal point. He was involved in every scrum, pushing back and daring the Clippers to retaliate. During one sequence, he poked the ball out of Blake Griffin’s hands, pushed him off-balance, tackled him to the ground, and delivered a kick to the head for good measure. Then he went on to secure the jump-ball against the high flyer.

Pau Gasol (23 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block) and rookie Andrew Goudelock (14 points, 2 rebounds) carried the Laker offense early after the Clips came blazing out of the gates. Caron Butler (16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals) scored 11-quick points and it began to look like another Clipper cakewalk. But the Lakers continued to chip away and never let the Clippers pull too far ahead. Kobe Bryant (24 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) and Andrew Bynum (19 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 4 blocks) took over in the second half, and for good measure, Derek Fisher (11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist) rang home three, 3-pointers to help sustain the momentum.

Blake Griffin (26 points, 9 rebounds) had his share of Top Ten moments while Mo Williams (16 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound) further secured his role as the leading Sixth-Man-of-the-Year candidate. Chris Paul (4 points on 2-8, 12 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal), in his first active duty since straining his hamstring when the two teams last played, was his usual stellar, playmaking self. But  Chauncey Billups (9 points on 1-8, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound) was cold from outside forcing the Clips to try to overpower the Lakers in the paint. With Bynum and Gasol gobbling up rebounds and altering shots, only Griffin was able to elevate over the Lakers duo. DeAndre Jordan (9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks) got loose for a couple of signature lob-jams, but found himself seated for long stretches after getting into early foul trouble.

Josh McRoberts (2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block in 15-minutes) was another spark for the Lakers even though he found himself ejected out of the game after picking up his second technical foul early in the 4th quarter. But his spirited play and competitiveness, combined with Metta’s play picked the team up when this could easily have been another unexplainable loss in a string of poor showings. McRobert’s stats weren’t impressive but his time on the floor was. And just like the player formerly known as Ron Artest, these former Pacers know a thing or two about playing physical and setting the tone.

The city rivalry looks to be in full swing, and the Lakers were able to silence the critics and the brash Clippers for one night. But one game does not make a season as the team heads out for its first extended road trip of the season with 8 of the next 9 games away from Staples Center. If the Lakers have indeed turned the corner, look out. But it’s going to take much more than an “expected” win over a familiar foe if they hope to make up some ground in the competitive Western Conference. Next up is a Saturday evening contest in Milwaukee followed by a back-to-back against the T-Wolves.

In what is becoming an all too familiar sight this season, the Los Angeles Lakers floundered away a late lead while missing the century mark again and ended up losing to the Indiana Pacers 98-96 at Staples Center. A familiar face was also back on the sidelines, one who knew the exact pulse of the team while possessing the intangible knowledge of how to communicate with one of the greatest players of all time. He himself was a graduate of the master and his ascension to the vacated throne was endorsed by all around him. After the Lakers unscripted exit to the Dallas Mavericks last season, each player spoke of redemption, rededication and renewed vigor.

B-Shaw was back on the sidelines, this time for the Indiana Pacers as his well-balanced team handed the Lakers their third straight loss in a row. Copyrights may apply. All rights reserved.

Ultimately, Brian Shaw did not land the head coaching gig with the Los Angeles Lakers, that title went instead to Mike Brown. So instead of dwelling on what should have been, B-Shaw did what he knew best, he moved on. Shaw, now the Associate Head Coach of the Indiana Pacers, does not look back but instead looks to a brighter future with the Pacers. Indiana currently holds a solid grip on its playoff aspirations despite talk of a season destined for rebuilding. But their vision for future greatness has catapulted itself into the present and Shaw hopes to capitalize on his good fortune leading a team that exhibits excellent ball movement within an equal-opportunity offense.

David West (15 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal) and Paul George (13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals) got Indiana back into the game after the Pacers came out flat to start. After scoring only 14-points in the 1st period, the Pacers heated up quite a bit as they recorded 35-points in the 2nd. Kobe Bryant (33 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) carried the Lakers scoring load while a welcome sign of life appeared off the bench as Metta World Peace (11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal) finally found himself with some meaningful minutes. But Indiana’s confidence would continue to grow well into the 3rd quarter as the Pacers were able to take a 60-56 lead behind a trio of 3-pointers from George and Danny Granger (16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks).

Andrew Bynum (16 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist) went to work inside the block as well as on the glass as the Lakers eased back into control. Pau Gasol (8 points on 4-12, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 blocks) played the role of facilitator while Matt Barnes (14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) continued to solidify his spot in the starting rotation. But the Pacers continued to battle back each time the Lakers tried to put some distance between them. The Lakers held on for a slim 78-77 lead at the end of three as Kobe’s baseline jumper found the mark just as the buzzer sounded.

Roy Hibbert (18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) and Darren Collison (12 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds) kept the Pacers within reach as the two teams began exchanging leads in the 4th quarter. Barnes got the Staples Center crowd on its feet with a resounding dunk off another Gasol dime to give the Lakers a 92-91 lead with 2:26 left in the contest. Derek Fisher (4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals) splashed a uncontested jumper for the three-point cushion but Hibbert and Collison struck back, giving the Pacers a 95-94 lead. Kobe found a wide-open Barnes behind the arc, but his 3-pointer went long and into the hands of the Pacers. The Lakers got the defensive stop they needed, forcing a turnover. But confusion ensued at their end with the Lakers unsure of what to do. Fisher’s lob-pass-shot hit nothing but air and the Lakers were forced to foul. Collison drained both free throws and the unthinkable had suddenly become a reality.

If Friday night was any indication of who’s the better center, there should be no argument following Dwight Howard’s 21-point/23-rebound overpowering performance in the Orlando Magic’s 92-80 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at the Amway Center. But of greater importance, this was the Lakers third consecutive game where their offense failed them. They managed only 10- first quarter points en route to a meager 31- total points in the first half. This follows equally unimpressive starts against Dallas (39-points) and Miami (37-points). In fact, the offensively-challenged Lakers have not scored over 100-points for the tenth game in a row. To put this into proper perspective, they’ve hit the century mark exactly ONCE this entire season.

The price for the services of free-agent-to-be Dwight Howard just doubled. Copyrights may apply. All rights reserved.

Kobe Bryant (30 points on 11-22, 8 assists, 3 rebounds) was the sole Laker who arrived in Orlando prepared for redemption after getting outplayed the previous night to Lebron James and the Miami Heat. Kobe went so far as to give his team a pep-talk before the game but this apparently fell on deaf ears. Andrew Bynum (10 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocked shots), the young center often compared with Howard, was limited to 26-minutes of action after picking up two-quick fouls whereas his running mate Pau Gasol, (13 points on 4-12, 10 rebounds, 3 assists), fared no better. If Drew had hoped to secure his Laker future with a strong performance, he did little to sway opinions of who should be tabbed as number 1.

This game was much more than Howard vs. Bynum, but unfortunately, with all of the hype leading up to this game, little could be done to sway fans from comparing the two, dominant big men in the NBA. Had the Lakers fired on all cylinders, or even half of them, the final outcome could easily be flip-flopped. But for some reason, be it a new coach with a new system, an aging group of tired veterans, or a serious lack of talent, the Lakers have hit the wall and appear beat. Beat as in beaten up, beaten to the punch, and beaten to a pulp.

Along with the team having problems with their offense, roles appear confused as Mike Brown tries to find a group that can work cohesively out on the court. That elusive five-some remains to be found as minutes are scattered up-and-down the roster. Unfortunately, no one player has stepped up to secure his spot in the ever-changing rotation. It has been one experiment after another, with the results often more disastrous than helpful. This team lost a lot of impact when it traded away Lamar Odom. But for our other bigs to look this confused and unsure of themselves boggles the mind.

If help is indeed on the way, the price for it just increased. With both Bynum and Gasol underperforming, why would Otis Smith, or any GM give up a prized possession in a one-to-one exchange. Would you give up Howard for Bynum straight-up? Gasol? How about Deron Williams? The only way to gain an upper hand in any trade equation is for the Lakers to start playing better and to win some games.Perhaps the team should focus on its glaring deficiencies rather than dwell on the unattainable. Regardless, the problem is no longer an anomaly but instead a huge gaping hole that needs to be filled immediately. Otherwise, come playoff time, we may find ourselves watching another LA team on TV living up to its lofty expectations.