This trip is more of an adventure

The Lakers have been here before, sort of, but not really at all, actually.

A four-game trip shouldn’t seem that daunting for a team that already survived a nine-game trek, but a thornier list of opponents and greater sense of urgency make this one much more pressure-packed.

With the Western Conference ready to punish any team that makes the mistake of losing two consecutive games, the Lakers (45-19) can’t afford even the slightest stumble if they want to stay in front.

A quick look at their next four opponents, all of whom are crowded near the top:

* New Orleans (43-20): Dismantled San Antonio with ease on Wednesday, 100-75, and will be looking to avenge a similar 109-80 drubbing by the Lakers two months ago in New Orleans.

* Houston (44-20): All the Rockets have done is win 20 consecutive games.

* Dallas (42-23): Winners of three consecutive games, the Mavericks might have figured out how to use this Jason Kidd guy.

* Utah: (43-23): The Jazz belted the Lakers the last time they blew into Salt Lake City, 120-96. And that was without starters Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur.

The record of the four teams the Lakers play over the next seven days is an imposing 172-86 (.667). The record of the nine teams on the Lakers’ earlier trip is a drab 256-321 (.444).

There will indeed be a different feel, even though the Lakers went 7-2 the last time they were away this long from Staples Center.

“The last one was about staying mentally and physically fit to be on the road that long,” forward Luke Walton said. “This one is only four games, but it’s against four of the best teams in the NBA, so it’s going to be war for four straight games.”

The Lakers have been only so-so the last couple of weeks, the latest evidence a 117-108 victory over Toronto, which went without All-Star forward Chris Bosh but still became the fifth team in six games to pass the 100-point mark against them.

There are whispers that the Lakers, short-handed since Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza went down within a week of each other in January, are fatigued.

They continue to win, taking four of their last five, but not as comfortably as last month, when they went 13-2 and put away teams with ease.

“I think that we’re shooting the ball pretty well, but I think our activity level is down,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “Some of our players look tired, leg-weary. That’s part of the March doldrums you get in this game because of the amount of games that you’ve played.”

The Lakers had their way with the Hornets in New Orleans on Jan. 9, leading the entire game and compiling a whopping 42-9 edge in points from reserves.

“From the jump ball, we were alert defensively, we were rotating and we were being the aggressors that whole game,” Walton said. “That’s kind of what we have to get back to [tonight]. That’s what we haven’t done the last couple games. If we want to beat those good teams, especially on the road, that’s what we have to do.”

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Kobe Bryant was right.

The last time the Lakers embarked on a multi-game road trip, there seemed to be an air of public uncertainty about their chances.

Bryant even scoffed at the notion of that nine-game road trip as a “Murderers’ Row.”

The Lakers ended up losing only twice on that trip, buoyed by the addition of Pau Gasol.

Bryant didn’t sense as much doubt for this four-game trip.

“I think at that time, we had Andrew going down and everybody just felt like we were going to go 2-7 or something on the road trip. We don’t have that feeling now,” he said. “Everybody looks at this road trip now, in terms of the public, as us going up against some of the top teams and us being one of them, so it’s kind of a slugfest.”

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If Houston beats Charlotte tonight, and the Lakers manage to get past New Orleans, the Rockets will have won 21 consecutive games going into a nationally televised game Sunday afternoon against the Lakers.

“People are talking about the Houston game,” Jackson said. “You can’t overlook the New Orleans game because that’s more important to us right now than the Houston game is.”

TONIGHT

at New Orleans, 5 PDT, Channel 9

Site -- New Orleans Arena.

Radio -- 570; 1330.

Records -- Lakers 45-19; Hornets 43-20.

Record vs. Hornets -- 1-1.

Update -- Chris Paul had 26 points and 17 assists in the Hornets’ 100-75 victory Wednesday over San Antonio. The Spurs had held 26 of their last 30 opponents under 100 points, but the Hornets shot a commendable 59%.

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mike.bresnahan@latimes.com