Defense Is the Big Problem

The Lakers looked like the Lakers of old Friday, as two players fed off each other on the way to a dominant 18-point lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Then came the fourth quarter and the end of any feel-good angles as the lingering ghost of last season made another appearance.

Defense again ruined any chance at victory, on a night when Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom were in tune with one another.

The Lakers are tied for 19th in scoring defense, giving up 96.9 points and several easy scores at inopportune times, as in the fourth quarter.

They led late against the Chicago Bulls, and lost. Same story against the Timberwolves, who made 13 of 17 shots in a 39-point fourth quarter Friday.

Part of the problems are founded in an unsettled offense -- a quick or bad shot creates an imbalance in the offense and gives an opposing team a chance to score more easily.

They’ve also had problems stopping penetration and, in a throwback to one of the few things that went wrong during the championship seasons, the Lakers have done a poor job in defending the screen-and-roll.

“The defense will improve,” Bryant said recently. “There’s just no question about it. It’s a must. It’s an imperative.”

Last season, the Lakers were 27th in scoring defense, giving up 101.7 points per game.

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Another problem spot last season was the second game of back-to-back situations, in which the Lakers went 5-14. They are 0-3 in such games this season.... The Lakers begin a six-game trip Tuesday in Milwaukee. Five of the six teams on the trip have winning records: Milwaukee, Chicago, Minnesota, Dallas and Memphis. The one exception is Toronto.

TONIGHT

vs. Charlotte, 6:30, FSN West

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 570, 1330.

Records -- Lakers 6-9, Bobcats 5-12.

Record vs. Bobcats (2004-05) -- 2-0.

Update -- The Bobcats continue to experience the growing pains of a young franchise, following up their 18-64 debut with a slow start this season. A plus for the Bobcats has been the play of guard Kareem Rush, sent from the Lakers to Charlotte last December for a 2005 second-round pick, which turned out to be Ronny Turiaf, and a 2008 second-round pick. Rush is averaging 15.6 points, second-highest on the Bobcats.

Tickets -- (800) 462-2849 or ticketmaster.com.

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Stop that

The Lakers rank among the bottom half of the league in four defensive categories:

*--* Category No. Rank * Points 96.9 19t * FG% 44.5% 20 * 3-Pt.% 34.4% 19 * Rebounds 30.4 21

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