They Get Defensive Too Late

It was said several different ways, by many different Lakers, after Friday night’s loss, another case of an opposing offense running free.

Defense has not been a regular-season favorite for the Lakers in the last eight seasons, but after Friday’s 120-116 overtime loss to the Washington Wizards, the Lakers are 0-9 in games in which they have given up 100 or more points.

The Lakers have forced the fewest turnovers in the league (12 a game) and are giving up an average of 97.9 points, tied for 20th before Saturday’s games.

After guards Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes took turns connecting from outside and penetrating for easy scores on the way to a combined 70 points Friday, the Lakers had no choice but to offer up defense-first analyses.

“They were just penetrating our paint,” Kobe Bryant said, “And we did not have anyone stepping in there, clogging up the paint like we normally do. They just ran up the middle all night long.”

And from Lamar Odom: “You’ve got to stop the basketball. You just cannot give a team layups.”

And Caron Butler: “They were just getting to the paint....”

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Arenas, who had 37 points, seemed at home in Washington’s orange retro jerseys.

“I missed last year’s homecoming due to my [abdominal] injury,” said Arenas, who grew up in L.A. and graduated from Van Nuys Grant High. “But we came here, I had my high school colors on and I tore this city up with my high school colors, so I felt comfortable in that jersey.”

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Center Chris Mihm had his least memorable game as a Laker, taking one shot and finishing with five turnovers and no points in 18 minutes. Said Coach Rudy Tomjanovich: “He started off and just didn’t get it going and we just went to somebody else [Brian Cook]. It’ll pass.” ... Tomjanovich, a Michigan graduate, attended the Michigan-UCLA game Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.... The Lakers don’t play their next road game until Jan. 4 at San Antonio.