Streak Is Not Indy-structible

The only thing that changed for the Lakers Friday night was the streak column in the standings, which now reads “Lost 1” instead of “Won 16.”

There is more reason to put stock in the bounty of evidence that the Lakers compiled during the first two months of the season than the 111-102 loss they suffered to the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Friday night was an aberration, not a trend. Although the Lakers no longer are the NBA’s hottest team they remain its best, with a 31-6 record to prove it.

The Lakers hung in this game until the final two minutes on a night that did not come close to representing their best effort.

Shaquille O’Neal missed a ton of easy shots and finished 10 of 25 from the field.

The Laker defense did not create anything for the offense. Indiana shot a higher percentage and committed fewer turnovers than Laker opponents do on average.

The Lakers didn’t show their usual patience and execution on offense.

As a result, the postgame locker room had a different mood for the first time since Dec. 8.

“It was a little somber,” Derek Fisher said. “But we have enough guys that have been in this league, we’ve got enough guys with experience to forget a loss and move on.”

As Fisher spoke, O’Neal was passing by to his locker.

“That was my bad,” O’Neal told Fisher.

“It’s all right, Big Fella,” Fisher said. “You carry us every night.”

That didn’t satisfy Shaq.

“It’s against my religion to miss 15 shots,” O’Neal said.

And Shaq has no plans to convert.

Kobe Bryant fouled out, something he had done only four previous times in his career. A.C. Green grabbed only three rebounds.

In other words, not your typical Laker performance.

Phil Jackson wasn’t looking forward to the next Laker loss, but he made it clear during the winning streak that he wouldn’t mind one.

He wanted to see how his team responded to a little adversity, and he knows a defeat can be the best way to reinforce the lessons he’s trying to impart.

Perhaps that’s why he had a smile on his face when the Lakers called time out, down by seven points with 18.1 seconds remaining.

His squad lost to a team that got a career high 12 rebounds from Austin Croshere, made 22 of 23 free throws and has won 12 consecutive games at home.

Man, what a home.

Conseco Fieldhouse is perfect. It’s everything Staples Center is not.

They’ve managed to create a modern facility that has an old-time feel. And they’ve managed to accommodate suite-holders and the average fans.

The first level of suites starts only 20 rows from the court, giving the big spenders luxury and proximity.

But instead of ramming two more levels of suites above them the way Staples Center does, the Fieldhouse features a deck of 10 rows of club seats (bleachers, in one section) before getting to the next--and final--suite level. Those club seats go for $70 and include parking and access to the club level restaurant and nicer concession stands. Every seat in the lower two-thirds of the arena feels close to the court.

Even the advertising around the concourse doesn’t feel too obtrusive, because most of the signs are hand-painted and have a 1950s look to them. The companies that existed back then use their old logos for the signs.

“I love it,” Bryant said. “It was like an old high school gym. It had that ‘Hoosiers’ feel to it.”

The designers wanted to capture the look of the field houses that dot the Indiana landscape, and they nailed it.

Unfortunately, if the Staples Center architects wanted to design a building that reflects Los Angeles, they did it right too. It’s stylish, with a huge distinction between the lives of the haves and the have-nots.

We’re too big for our good. There aren’t enough big companies and big shots in Indiana to sell 160 suites like a certain building named for an office product store did, so the Pacers capped their suites at 69 and kept Conseco Fieldhouse intimate.

One built-in advantage for the Fieldhouse is not having to accommodate an NHL rink.

In this case--and this case only--Indianapolis gets the edge over L.A.

But Indy remains a small-time town, where nightlife consists of heading to the Steak ‘n Shake for a burger. If the Lakers and Pacers continue at their current rate, the Lakers would have homecourt advantage if they met in the NBA finals. Then their greatest concern wouldn’t be the Pacers or Conseco Fieldhouse but spending a week in Indianapolis for the middle three games and contracting a terminal case of boredom.

Come to think of it, there’s one feature of Conseco Fieldhouse Laker fans would find unacceptable: You can’t get a good cellular phone signal.

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J.A. Adande can be reached at his e-mail address: j.a.adande@latimes.com.