The NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers - six words that bring a Johnny Most-like fury to any Celtics fan - enter TD Garden this afternoon very close to being the team that will try to defend its title in the spring.
It’s Day 10 of a 13-day road trip for the Lakers, who were spoiled by an early-season home schedule that allowed them to pile up wins as well as confidence. So their 36-11 record may be a little deceiving, and that is not lost on the players or coaches.
The road trip began with a loss to Cleveland, the Lakers’ second loss to the Cavaliers in four weeks. That was followed by a 1-point loss at Toronto three days later. The record may be gaudy, but the Lakers are a team still trying to find themselves.
There are going to be nights such as Friday in Philadelphia, when their depth is just overwhelming. Kobe Bryant scored just 2 points in the first 24 minutes yet the Lakers owned a 9-point lead. There was never a question whether they would put away the struggling 76ers, just who would deliver the decisive blow.
After delivering a couple of flurries, Bryant handed that responsibility to Ron Artest, who drained two 3-pointers to seal the win. The Lakers are good enough not only to coast to road wins, but also to use the 48 minutes as an opportunity for struggling players such as Artest to get untracked.
That was the dominant topic in the postgame locker room. The Lakers were hardly giddy over a win against a 15-31 team, but they know that Artest needs to be offensively confident and sound for them to make another title run.
Artest realizes he is a focal point for the Lakers. If he struggles, Lakers fans will lament the fact that the team allowed Trevor Ariza to sign with the Houston Rockets and brought in Artest for the same money. If Artest flourishes, general manager Mitch Kupchak will be seen as brilliant for adding a veteran defender and accomplished scorer.
“I was kind of questioning my age for a while,’’ said Artest, 30. “I was a great defender at one time, but the last couple of years . . .’’
But Artest has been carried at times by the Lakers’ depth, which may separate Los Angeles from the other elite teams in the NBA. Artest accepted the mid-level exception for an opportunity to win his first NBA title and understands that popping 3-pointers or slashing to the basket are not his priorities. He is there to defend the opposition’s best player, such as Paul Pierce today. That relieves pressure from Bryant, allowing him to concentrate on offense.
Playing hard again
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