Ron Artest gets an ‘A’ for effort in victory over Dallas

Reporting from Dallas — 

His feet were soaking in a bucket of ice, his knees were wrapped in ice and his right index finger still was wrapped in black tape that had kept it protected from a sprain.

A crowd gathered around him looking for answers, seeking a comment from Ron Artest on why he had been so productive for the Lakers in their victory over the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Wednesday night.

Artest had given the Lakers one of his best efforts of the season, with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

“I’ve been trying to play, you know?” Artest said. “And just keep pushing it. As long as I give 100%, the body will catch up to me. Sometimes your body is not 100%, but you’re giving 100%. Then when your body is at 100% or 90% and you’ve giving 100%, sometimes it just looks better.”

It was an interesting statement from Artest, all the 100% stuff for the body.

So he was asked if his body still isn’t 100%.

He had suffered a concussion on Christmas night and missed five games.

He hit his head on the court Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks and experienced some dizziness, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said at the time, and he had asked to come out of that game twice.

Then came Artest’s finger injury Tuesday night against the San Antonio Spurs, adding to his woes.

“I don’t worry about it,” he said. “I can’t worry about it. I just let the trainers identify the problems, and then as they identify them, then work on them, I continue to give 100% -- because once you start talking about you got these injuries and start complaining, it just gives you room to give in.”

Artest didn’t miss any of his five shots against the Mavericks.

He even made five of six free throws.

Jackson said Artest was aggressive from the start and in the third quarter.

Artest had eight points and six rebounds in the first quarter. He made all three of his shots.

He had five more points in the third, playing all 12 minutes.

“He got really good position,” Jackson said. “I thought he was decisive with the ball. There was some of the same stuff, but he was pretty decisive with the ball. He knew what he wanted to do when he got the ball down there.”

Kobe Bryant was not at his best. He was playing through back spasms.

Bryant needed his teammates to help him.

“My mind-set was the same, just go out there and play hard,” Artest said. “I asked Kobe before the game, I said, ‘Are you all right?’ He said, ‘Naw, I might not make it.’ So everybody said we got to step it up.”

broderick.turner@latimes.com

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