It turns out Metta World Peace remains reluctant to spread his message.

His personal assistant arrived at the Lakers' facility after a recent practice to pick up a pair of signed basketballs for an unspecified charity. Only problem: World Peace had scribbled his former name, Ron Artest, on both balls and refused to re-sign it.

"I don't like the signature yet," World Peace later explained. "It's not how I want it yet. I'm trying to figure out how to sign it."

He's currently kicking around different ideas, but to no avail. World Peace remains unsure if he should sign his name as just Metta, World Peace or both. He sounded unsure of the idea when a reporter suggested he tag his autograph with a peace sign. World Peace says he needs more practice writing out the name to perfect his penmanship.

But for once, World Peace says he's focusing on more important things.

"I haven't signed a lot of autographs this year, World Peace said. "We've been so busy with games, I haven't had time to get out. Next year I'll probably sign Metta."

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Metta World Peace bored with defense

Five things to take from the Lakers' 96-91 victory over the Clippers

Metta World Peace's success points to post-up work

-- Mark Medina

Email the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

It turns out Metta World Peace's career-low scoring numbers have nothing to do with his poor shooting stroke. It turns out World Peace's declining defense has nothing to do with his age (32) and decreasing lateral quickness. It turns out World Peace's conditioning has nothing to do with arriving to training camp out of shape.

It has to do with one thing and one thing only.

"I got bored with defense because it was so easy for me to stop people over the years," World Peace said after Thursday's practice. "I just got bored with it."

That is, until the Lakers' 96-91 victory Wednesday over the Clippers where he played a large part in securing the win. World Peace made late-game plays, including a three-pointer that gave the Lakers an 87-82 lead, a feed that set up an Andrew Bynum dunk and a stuff on Chris Paul in the lane.

If the explanation sounds absurd, well it is. But the most unlikliest of sources agrees with World Peace's logic.

"It's about finding an edge," Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said. "You have to find an edge. It's not something that's far fetched. He's a great defensive player. Sometimes it comes too easy. Offensively for me, things are really easy sometimes. The game feels boring. You have to find an edge. You have to find something that is going to push you."

He's never played point guard in high school or college. He remains more of a shooter than a playmaker. And he plays on the veteran-laden Lakers.

Yet, somehow rookie Andrew Goudelock has cracked the rotation as the Lakers' main backup behind Derek Fisher. Goudelock's career-high 14-point performance on five-for-nine shooting in 20 minutes in the Lakers' 96-91 victory Wednesday over the Clippers prompted Lakers Coach Mike Brown to make a bold proclamation following Thursday's practice.

"He's earned the right to continue to try to play," Brown said of Goudelock. "What you guys saw yesterday, I feel he's capable of doing. Right now in a night-in-and-night-out basis, maybe not. I don't know. But he has a skillset that allows him to score the basketball and be effective like the way he did."

That involved shooting with confidence and in rhythm. Goudelock didn't over-dribble and made crisp  passes to ensure smooth ball movement. And even if Goudelock never formally played the position, Brown believes his four-year experience at College of Charleston afforded him the experience to adapt.

The Lakers' latest lineup shuffle reflects on their lack of choices at point guard. Steve Blake remains sidelined because of a fracture connected to his rib and sternum. Rookie Darius Morris appeared too intent on dribbling and shooting than running the actual offense. And Brown readily conceded that he "rolled the dice" in seeing how Goudelock would respond.

Goudelock's flimsy standing remains present. Brown continually mispronounces Goudelock's name. Goudelock also was forced to wear No. 0 on his jersey because nearly every number was taken. But his sudden rise up the depth chart also speaks to his quick ability to adapt at a position he had played only in walk-through drills.

"I try to make it as simple as I can," Goudelock said. "You don't want to complicate things when they don't have to be so complicated. For me, it was run the plays, get the right people the ball and be open when they double team. Be ready when the ball comes to you and knock the shot down."

--Mark Medina

Email the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Game stories

--The Times' Mike Bresnahan highlights Pau Gasol's increased aggressiveness against in the Lakers' 96-91 win Wednesday over the Clippers. 

--The Orange County Register's Kevin Ding credits the Lakers for showing grit against the Clippers. 

--The Daily News' Elliott Teaford focuses on the testiness surrounding the Lakers-Clippers game. 

Notebooks

--The Times' Bresnahan notes how rookie guard Andrew Goudelock took advantage of his increased minutes. 

--The Times' Broderick Turner focuses on Chris Paul's return to the lineup after nursing a hamstring injury.

--The Daily News' Teaford highlights the Forbes ranking the Lakers as the NBA's most valuable franchise. 

 Sidebars

--The Times' Ben Bolch focuses on Metta World Peace's late-game contributions and energy. 

Columns

--The Times' Bill Dwyre loves the intensity in the recent Lakers-Clippers games. 

-The Daily News' Vincent Bonsignore credits Lakers Coach Mike Brown for having a defensive philosophy.  

--The Orange County Register's Kevin Ding argues Gasol needs to remain aggressive. 

--Fox Sports West's Michael Martinez believes the chippiness between the Lakers and Clippers is just starting. 

--ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin argues Gasol's production will mostly hinge on his own aggressiveness. 

--ESPN Los Angeles' Ramona Shelburne believes the Lakers and Clippers have a rivalry. 

--Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski argues Gasol's head rub on Chris Paul sent a clear message. 

Just when it appeared that significant playing time was not in the cards, Lakers rookie guard Andrew Goudelock picked up on a few signals that suggested otherwise.

The Lakers' morning shoot-around Wednesday involved Goudelock playing at backup point guard. For the first time in recent memory, Lakers Coach Mike Brown actually pronounced Goudelock's name correctly in practice (it rhymes with "loud lock"). Still, the last thing Goudelock wanted to do was get his hopes up over nothing.

So he simply alerted his parents he might play some minutes in the Lakers-Clippers game and then took his routine pre-game nap. Once he woke up, Goudelock hardly thought about what might ensue.

Said Goudelock: "I woke up here, came to the game with my mind right and was ready to play.

The result. Goudelock played at backup shooting guard and recorded a career-high 14 points on five-for-eight shooting in 20 minutes, surpassing the 10 points he scored in his previous 10 appearances. Afterward, Brown said he'd seriously consider giving Goudelock more playing time at the spot instead of the struggling Darius Morris.

Who knows how that will pan out considering Steve Blake, who's been sidelined 11 days with an injury, may return within a week. But it beats sitting on the bench.

"It helps me out and boosts my confidence a bit," Goudelock said. "You never know when your next opportunity is going to come. You just have to take advantage of the next opportunity that's in your face. It's good to know I may have a few more opportunities in the future. It relaxes you a bit because you can't relax at all."

1st quarter, 9:40-9:33

Just as Pau Gasol established post position, Clippers forward Blake Griffin pushed him out of the block. But that only threw Griffin off-balance and gave Gasol a clearer path to the lane. Paul crept in on a double team but Gasol spun around both Griffin and Paul for a fadeaway jumper. As soon as Gasol sank the shot, he raised his elbow up, suggesting Griffin had fouled him. Instead, Gasol received a technical.

2nd quarter, 9:16 - 9:14

After Caron Butler's missed three-pointer hit the back rim and went over the basket, Gasol pushed Reggie Evans to create more leverage on the box-out. Gasol then tossed him to the ground. That prompted Clippers forward Solomon Jones to push Gasol from behind, resulting in a near skirmish.

"If Pau's involved, it's definitely verbal," Fox Sports West's Stu Lantz said.

Ouch.

He roared.

Nearly every time up the floor, Lakers forward Pau Gasol established post position and called for the ball.

"I wanted to be aggressive and wanted to be effective and get out early," Gasol said. "It worked out well."

He delivered.

The Lakers' 96-91 victory Wednesday over the Clippers featured Kobe Bryant's consistency (24 points), Metta World Peace's surprising fourth-quarter effectiveness and Andrew Goudelock's even more surprising coming-out party (14 points). But it also featured Gasol playing with more aggression, a topic of conversation Lakers Coach Mike Brown and Bryant reiterated after the Lakers forward complained about not receiving enough looks in the low post.

"It's a perfect example of: He needs to be more aggressive," Bryant said. "When he's more aggressive, the ball is going to find him."

There was roaring, growling and even some uninvited petting in an utter dogfight between the Lakers and Clippers on Wednesday night.

The Lakers won, 96-91, trying the teams' season series at 1-1.

There were six technical fouls assessed in the game, four to the Lakers, two to the Clippers.

Tensions ran high through the final seconds of the game, highlighted by an odd sequence with 1.1 seconds remaining in which Pau Gasol rubbed the top of Chris Paul's head.

Paul found the gesture condescending, recoiled, then promptly reached his hand up to Gasol's mane to return the favor.

That was just one of the many chippy incidents that littered the game.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Gasol had 23 points and 10 rebounds. Andrew Bynum contributed 19 points and six rebounds. Rookie Andrew Goudelock scored 14 points and Derek Fisher added 11.

In the video above, The Times' Melissa Rohlin and Mark Medina talk about the Lakers' win, which snapped their three-game losing streak and added fuel to the seething rivalry between the two teams.

MORE:

Clippers' Chris Paul irked that Pau Gasol rubbed his head [Video]

Five things to take from the Lakers' 96-91 victory over the Clippers

-- Melissa Rohlin

The Lakers and Clippers say they don't have a rivalry. 

But they sure do act like it.

The Lakers' 96-91 victory Wednesday over the Clippers ended with one image that defines the heightened animosity. After Clippers forward Blake Griffin fouled Lakers forward Pau Gasol with 1.1 seconds left, Clippers guard Chris Paul attempted to swipe the ball from Gasol's hands while the two sniped at each other. Kobe Bryant also stepped in, jawing continuously at the Clippers guard, as Gasol walked to the free-throw line. 

Gasol then put his hand on top of Paul's hand, which prompted the Clippers guard to shove Gasol's hand away and tap him on his head. 

"I got a son of my own," Paul said. "I don't know if Pau got kids, but don't touch the top of my head like I'm one of your kids. I don't know what his intentions were, and it doesn't matter. I don't know if he's got kids, but I'm not one of them."

Gasol appeared amused that Paul took offense at the incident. 

"I'm sorry he felt that way," Gasol said. "I do that all the time with my teammates. It's OK. If I touch your shoulder or back, there's nothing mean about it. It is what it is." 

And what is that exactly? From a neutral perspective, Paul acted pretty immature for trying to swipe the ball away. Gasol acted pretty immature for rubbing his head. 

"Chris is chippy," Bryant said. "I'm extremely chippy and that DNA spreads to the rest of the team. That's how it is."

And how it is with Gasol and Paul went beyond just the overall contentiousness the Lakers and Clippers displayed in a game that featured six technicals, one flagrant foul and one ejection. When the Lakers played the Clippers in two preseason games, Gasol admitted his refusal to acknowledge Paul. The Lakers initially acquired Paul in a trade that would've resulted in Gasol going to Houston, but the NBA rejected the deal. 

Instead, they find themselves on both sides of a brewing L.A. rivalry. 

"I'm not much of a talker on the floor," Gasol said. "I play hard and try to do my best to help my team. Obviously a couple guys are talking. So I'll talk back."

And rub his opponents' head too.

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Pau Gasol says nothing to Chris Paul

Mark Medina and Melissa Rohlin preview the Lakers-Clippers game

Five things to take from the Lakers' 96-91 victory over the Clippers

--Mark Medina 

E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Times correspondent Melissa Rohlin contributed to this report

1. Metta World Peace helps secure the Lakers' 96-91 victory Wednesday at Staples Center. You may be performing a double-take, but it's true. World Peace played a large part in securing the Lakers' win. He may have scored only three points on one-for-four shooting, but he was involved in nearly every facet of the game.

The fans at Staples Center remained justified when they gasped as World Peace took a wide-open three-pointer late in the game. But his shot gave the Lakers an 87-82 lead with 3:30 remaining, prompting World Peace to pump out his chest. On the next play, he connected with Andrew Bynum on a put-back, prompting Gasol to push World Peace in excitement. World Peace's effective cutting, swing passes, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals helped ensure the Lakers having the proper energy level and ball movement.

For at least one game, World Peace looked like the old Ron Artest. 

2. The Lakers and Clippers don't like each other, and that's a good thing. It's clear the animosity just got even more heated. The defining image may be World Peace tussling with Blake Griffin on the floor for a loose ball. After World Peace wrapped his legs around Griffin, both got up and appeared about to trade barbs, but teammates separated them.

There were more chippy plays. Clippers guard Mo Williams threw a flagrant foul on rookie Andrew Goudelock. Clippers forward Reggie Evans continuously played dirty against Pau Gasol and Josh McRoberts, so much that it frustrated McRoberts enough to earn an ejection. Kobe Bryant got so annoyed with a traveling call that he ran across court to protest the ruling. After Derek Fisher made a timely fourth-quarter steal, Clippers guard Chauncey Billups mouthed off. Once the buzzer hit, Bryant exchanged words with Chris Paul. Gasol followed suit by rubbing his hand on his head. He also antagonized Paul at the end, rubbing his hand on the head of the Clippers guard, who reacted by yelling at Gasol.All in all, the Lakers and Clippers combined for six technical fouls. 

Hopefully, the basketball gods will provide a crosstown L.A. playoff series. The fans at Staples Center on Wednesday got a sneak peek.  

3. Gasol played much more aggressively. So this is what it looks like when Gasol plays more assertively and his teammates actively look for him. The result: Gasol scored 23 points on nine-for-13 shooting. On one play, he received an entry pass in the low post only for Blake Griffin to push him out. But Gasol didn't back down. He threw Griffin off balance on a pump fake, drove into the lane and converted on a hook shot. On another play, World Peace drove the lane and connected with Gasol on a one-hander. And after struggling with his mid-range jumper in the last two games, Gasol nailed those with ease.

This didn't take away from Gasol's facilitating. His dump-off pass to Matt Barnes for a baseline drive remained a thing of beauty. So did Gasol's pass to Bryant that set up a baseline jumper off the backboard.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, this took place mostly in the first half.  In the third quarter, Gasol attempted only two shots, became a target of Evans' mauling and had trouble limiting Griffin's highlight reels the way he managed beforehand.

Nonetheless, Gasol and the Lakers provided a good blueprint of how he fits in the offense. He won't always manufacture these numbers, but a persistently aggressive mindset will help set a different tone.