Trash Talk Cleaned Up

A battle of insults was nowhere to be found Monday at the Lakers’ practice facility, all one-liners about punters apparently having been used up the last time the Lakers and Clippers played.

There were a few entertaining days in late January leading up to Clippers-Lakers Part III, Clipper point guard Marko Jaric calling his team better than the Lakers, a truth he said would be demonstrated “sooner or later,” and Laker point guard Chucky Atkins returning fire by calling Jaric the equivalent of the Clippers’ punter.

The Clippers won the game, 105-89, but the Lakers hold the season series, 2-1, and there were no jabs ahead of the season series’ fourth and final game tonight, officially a Laker home game.

Atkins didn’t feel like reflecting on the sniping.

“I don’t remember, and it don’t really matter,” he said. “Those guys played well against us the last time. We get a chance to redeem ourselves on our home court. Not only do you have a chance to win the season series against those guys, also that’s a ‘double game.’ We win that game, it’ll push them further back and it’ll push their playoff hopes further back and we move on.”

If other incentive is lacking, the Lakers can look to a season series they have dominated the last seven seasons, having won every year since the teams tied, 2-2, in 1996-97.

Extending the season forecast beyond tonight, the Lakers’ next six games are on the road, making tonight that much more important.

“You’ve always got to win that getaway game,” Coach Frank Hamblen said. “We would like to win the season series. We would like that very much. We know they’re going to be coming after us.”

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Kobe Bryant credited Kurt Rambis and Brian Shaw, who have tried to impart their wisdom since being switched from front-office jobs to assistant coaches after the All-Star break.

“[Shaw] knows the offense, he knows the game inside and out,” Bryant said. “Kurt as well. They’ve been a huge, huge help with what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Bryant played with Shaw for championship seasons in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

“We’ve been through so many battles together,” Bryant said. “He knows this offense, and he knows the ups and downs that a season can take on a player, and the mentality and emotions of a player.”

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TONIGHT

Lakers vs. Clippers, 7:30, FSNW, Channel 5

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 570, 1150, 1330.

Records -- Lakers 30-28, Clippers 26-34.

Series record -- Lakers lead, 2-1.

Update -- Kobe Bryant did not play in the Lakers’ Jan. 26 loss to the Clippers because of a sprained right ankle. Tonight will be the third game in four nights for the Clippers, who are 7-9 in the second game of back-to-back situations. The Clippers are 6-22 in road games, including a 103-89 loss to the Lakers on Nov. 17.