New perspective has Artest playing it cool

“I rewinded it like 50 times,’’ said Artest. “I was like, ‘That’s pretty cool.’ ’’

Artest initially avoided replays to keep his focus on the future, on moving forward toward the NBA Finals. Considering how easily he can stray from unbelievable play to unpredictable player, it was the right idea. (Don’t forget that, prior to the game-winner, the home crowd nearly booed Artest off the court for horrendous shot selection.)

“I kind of wish we didn’t celebrate,’’ said Artest. “I kind of wish we just went off and went into the locker room, high-fived, and got out of there, just moved on, because we really didn’t do anything.

“But I guess I was in the moment. You can’t control what happens. You can’t control that emotion. The fans are emotional. The game is emotional. You try to control the emotion. You’ve got to be in control.’’

If that sounds like a player trying to keep himself on task, in the right frame of mind, and out of trouble, it is understandable. No one knows better than Artest what happens when he spirals out of control, when the technical fouls mount and the oddball behavior emerges. That was the big concern last summer when the Lakers signed Artest.

After weighing the risks and benefits, the Lakers gave Artest a five-year, $34 million contract last July. To be at his most productive, Artest needed a title-contending team with strong veteran leadership. Winning appears to keep him in check.

“The thing about Ron is he doesn’t get distract- . . .,’’ said Kobe Bryant, catching himself in a misstatement. “He might get distracted about other stuff, but he doesn’t get distracted about the game. He locks in very well.’’

Artest is the one addition the Lakers made to their 2009 championship team, the one player without a ring, the one without Finals experience. His assignment starting tomorrow will be to defend Paul Pierce, and given how Pierce averaged 21.8 points per game against the Lakers en route to 2008 NBA Finals MVP honors, the stage is set for him to dramatically impact the series. Asked how much of a difference having Artest makes in the Finals rematch, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, “Huge.’’