They Play Best Against the Best

Occasional stumbles against the sub-.500 teams remain (see: Clippers, 108-86), but the Lakers continue to play their best against the best, most recently Wednesday’s victory over the Chicago Bulls when the lead didn’t drop below 15 points over the final 15 minutes.

With that win, the Lakers improved to 8-5 against the other top nine teams: 2-0 against Seattle, 1-0 against New York, 1-0 against Miami, 0-2 against Utah, 1-0 against Atlanta, 1-1 against Detroit, 1-1 against Houston and 1-1 against Chicago. Moreover, two of the losses, at home to the Pistons and at Chicago, came in overtime.

*

Prediction du jour from Nick Van Exel: Asked after being routed, minus Shaquille O’Neal, by the Clippers, on how the series would turn out should the teams meet in the first round of the playoffs, he said: “We’d beat ‘em. We’d beat ‘em in a playoff series. Of course, we’d have the big fella in the middle.”

*

The Lakers’ 35-13 record is even more impressive considering it has come with nine starting lineups, only one fewer than all of last season, and there has been a new opening group in five of the last seven games. Injuries to O’Neal and Robert Horry have been the cause of the recent shake-ups, and much of the early season juggling was caused by Cedric Ceballos hurting his knee. . . . The Bulls’ 16-point loss Wednesday tied for their largest margin of defeat. The other time came Jan. 19 at Houston.