The Lakers are a year-long conversation, but lately it has seemed there's been lots of things to talk about the team more than ever.

They just lost three consecutive games for the first time in two years. Kobe Bryant recently returned to the lineup after spraining his left ankle. There's been plenty of trends pointing toward the inconsistent offense and defense, something that was recently discussed in the team meeting. And, of course, with 17 games remaining in the regular season, the Lakers (47-18) have tightening races with Cleveland (50-15) for the league's best record. They're also competing with Dallas (44-21), Denver (42-21) and Utah (41-22) for the top spot in the West.

Therefore, it's only appropriate to present a wide ranging number of polls to get the general pulse among Lakers fans. I'll give this post a two-day shelf life before I devote an analysis piece on Friday based on all the results.

So without further ado, click away and vote! (after the jump)

Lakers forward Lamar Odom on celebrity attention surrounding marriage with Khloe Kardashian.

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson on the firing of Clippers General Manager Mike Dunleavy

Lakers guard Derek Fisher on the team's hunger level

Mark Medina

Follow the L.A Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Game stories

The Times' Mike Bresnahan highlights many of the struggles the Lakers had in a 109-107 victory Tuesday over the Toronto Raptors.

The Orange County Register's Kevin Ding details how the Lakers barely averted their fourth consecutive loss.

The Toronto Sun's Mike Ganter said the Raptors had no answer to Bryant's clutchness.

The Riverside Press Enterprise's Dan Weber notes Bryant's game winner, but indicates team's issues still remain.

The Daily News' Elliott Teaford goes through another one of Kobe Bryant's game winners.

Notebooks

The Times' Mike Bresnahan documents Bryant's increased playing time.

The Daily News' Elliott Teaford mentions how the return of reserve guard Sasha Vujacic bolster's the team's depth.

The Riverside Press Enterprise's Dan Weber notes that Vujacic is back, but is far from being fully healthy.

Sidebars

The Times' Broderick Turner explains what left Lakers forward Lamar Odom upset with Toronto.

Columns

ESPN's J.A. Adande thinks these Bryant game winners are becoming not only tiresome, but unhealthy for a team this late in the season.

The Orange County Register's Kevin Ding shows why Derek Fisher's presence is valued. His halftime speech helped the team focus.

Fox Sports' Randy Hill advises not to overreact to the Lakers' struggles.

ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin explained why hardly anyone on the Lakers was happy with the victory.

Blogs

Andy and Brian Kamenetzky from ESPN Los Angeles has game analysis and video.

Forum Blue and Gold has become accustomed to Bryant's theatrics.

NBA Playbook has a frame-by-frame analysis of Bryant's game-winning shot.

Silver Screen and Roll's DexterFishmore says it's nice to have Bryant on your team.

More Lakers links

ESPN's Scoop Jackson thinks Ron Artest should've kept his dyed hair.

Lakers Nation interviews Roland Lazenby on his new book on Jerry West.

Tweet of the Day:"Morning yall up early w/ the babies watchn Dora. Seems Lamar can’t keep my name out his mouth maby I need 2 put my sons (poopy) diaper n it" -- Matt_Barnes22 (Orlando forward Matt Barnes)

Reader Comment of the Day: "It's going to be a tough slog the next month or so. I hope the Lakers can pull out a few quality, dominating wins to change the vibe around the team. I think it is possible, just a little harder than we had hoped for." -- teamn

--Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Photo: Kobe Bryant, right, finished with 32 points, none bigger than the two he got by nailing a shot with 1.9 seconds remaining to avoid overtime with the Raptors on Tuesday night. Credit: Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson

Lakers center Andrew Bynum

--Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Standing in front of his locker, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant bore a solemn look that's usually reserved for losses.

He dismissed the Lakers' 109-107 victory Tuesday over the Toronto Raptors "as garbage." He chalked up his sixth game-winner of the season as just part of his responsibility, saying, "it's my job to bail us out." And when asked if there was anything positive he could take away from the team's performance against Toronto, he said, "No, not really."

It's not only striking that Bryant would express such irritation moments after nailing a 17-footer from the right side with 1.9 seconds left after getting separation from Antoine Wright. It's also striking that Bryant's mood drastically juxtaposed his demeanor following the team's 96-94 loss Sunday to the Orlando Magic. Despite the Lakers capping off a winless three-game trip with a loss to Orlando, Bryant expressed remarkable optimism. And despite the team avoiding a four-game losing streak with a win to Toronto, Bryant had a depressed and measured tone. What to make of it? It's actually pretty simple.

"With the effort we had in Orlando, it'll be tough to beat us four times [in the playoffs]," said Bryant, who scored a team-high 32 points on 11 of 20 shooting and dished out six assists. "But this thing tonight was garbage."

Lakers 109, Raptors 107 (final)

The Lakers had not lost four consecutive games since April 2007, but that's what they were staring at Tuesday night against the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center.

The Lakers were coming off a trip in which they lost all three games, at Miami, Charlotte and Orlando. And it took a jumper by Kobe Bryant with 1.9 seconds left Tuesday night for the Lakers to get past the Raptors, end the losing streak and get back to their winning ways.

After Chris Bosh made a three-pointer to tie the score, 107-107, with 9.5 seconds left, the Lakers called a timeout.

Pau Gasol passed to Bryant, who dribbled to the baseline to the right of the basket, rose up over a double-team and sank a 17-foot jumper for the victory.

Bryant finished with 32 points.

The Lakers were so frustrated that they got two technical fouls called against them after the third quarter was over.

Gasol, upset because he didn't get a foul call on a weak offensive move, was called for a technical after complaining to the officials by waving his arm.

Then assistant coach Frank Hamblen was called for a technical foul as the third quarter ended.

That's how it was going for the Lakers.

-- Broderick Turner

Below is a video featuring part of the pre-game press conference with Lakers Coach Phil Jackson previewing tonight's game against Toronto. As you will hear, guard Sasha Vujacic is cleared to play, although it's unclear how many minutes he may get tonight.

--Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

It had been a statistic the Lakers didn't particularly attach much significance to, other than confirming their own dominance. It was also something that regurgitated when mentioning the impact Lakers forward Pau Gasol had on the team since the Lakers acquired him Feb. 2008 in a trade from Memphis. That milestone involved the Lakers managing to avoid a three-game losing streak for just over two years, a feat that the Lakers snapped Sunday in a 96-94 loss to Orlando, capping off a winless three-game trip.

So it was only fitting to get a read on what enabled the Lakers (46-18) to bounce back so quickly after consecutive losses. 

"A lot of luck," Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said. "I mean if my toe wasn't on the line, we might have won that game."

Bryant's statement referred to the shot he made with 12.9 seconds to play against Orlando. Referees initially signaled it a three-pointer, but replays showed Bryant's foot was on the line. That turned a tie score into a 95-94 Lakers deficit. His 20-foot shot with 1.2 seconds remaining fell short, capping the third game of the season Bryant's game winner didn't go in. That's not really an indictment on Bryant considering his six-game winners this season. Nonetheless, a potential game winner also fell short Jan. 24 in a 106-105 loss to Toronto, which visits the Lakers tonight at Staples Center. If a similar scenario plays out Tuesday, it would mark the first time since April 2007 that the Lakers would lose four consecutive games. 

Though it's been well understood the Lakers' winless three-game trip left a lot to be desired, two of their losses were really decided by one basket. Had Bryant's potential game-winning shots gone in against Miami and Orlando, the Lakers certainly would be singing a different tune. The Lakers' litany of issues would still remain, but there'd likely not be as much conversation regarding their offensive lapses, though that still would be a legitimate concern even if Bryant's shots had been successful.

That's why to some degree, the streak should be scrutinized carefully. Ball Don't Lie's Kelly Dwyer wrote this really wasn't much of a streak for the Lakers to celebrate, noting, "So, clearly, this is the three-game losing streak that isn't. Or, probably, it's the three-game losing streak that really doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot. There wasn't anything the Lakers were doing in this streak that they haven't been doing all season. For better and for worse." ESPN Los Angeles' Andy Kamenetzky seconds that notion saying, "The 'Pau era' streak met its end not because the Lakers suddenly became more vulnerable, but rather because they could no longer outrun mounting, unsolved issues."

That was certainly the case during the 2007-2008 season, where the Lakers rebounded from consecutive losses into single digit wins March 18 against Dallas (102-100), March 30 against Washington (126-120 in overtime), showing the margin of defeat and victory is often highly disproportional to the outcome's significance. Those results played out in similar fashion in the playoffs with victories in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against Utah (111-104) and Game 3 of the NBA Finals against Boston (87-81).

But this streak wasn't just a case study in how the Lakers closed out games. There were also several incidents showcasing the Lakers responding in dominating fashion to avoid a third consecutive loss. 

On Jan. 10, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson stood among the gathered media and spoke about the team's two-game losing streak to the Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers. Fittingly, one of those questions involved the team's ability to avoid three consecutive losses and if Jackson has ever brought up that topic internally with the team. Afterall, Jackson's teams have only lost four or more consecutive games 10 times in seven different seasons, none of which were part of his 10 championship teams, including six with the Chicago Bulls and four with the Lakers.

He downplayed the talk about streaks, but he still acknowledged a second consecutive loss has often spurred more urgency."Every loss is a big deal to us," Jackson said. "We don’t talk about numbers. One loss, stop the bleeding. Two, we have to make a definite stand here."

The Lakers performances showed that to be the case that night in a 95-77 win Jan. 10 against Milwaukee, which served as just one example of the Lakers playing much different after two consecutive losses.

Practice reports

The Times' Ben Bolch notices the team's edginess after suffering its first three-game losing streak in two years.

The Daily News' Vincent Bonsignore explains that the Lakers have plenty of suggestions on how to improve the offense.

ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin provides an update on injuries to Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton.

The Riverside Press-Enterprise's Dan Weber jokes it would be much easier for the Lakers to fix their struggles if it were as simple as Ron Artest buzzing off his dyed hair.

Blogs

Ball Don't Lie's Kelly Dwyer analyzes the state of the Lakers.

ESPN Los Angeles' Brian Kamenetzky analyzes some of the quotes from Monday's practice.

Ball Don't Lie's Trey Kerby has a photo caption contest involving Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and Orlando forward Vince Carter.

Silver Screen and Roll's C.A. Clark explains why the Lakers will still win the NBA championship this season.

Power rankings

Fox Sports' John Galinsky thinks Dallas and Orlando could give the Lakers and Cavs some trouble.

Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix notes that the ball distribution has fallen since Bryant's return.

Hoopsworld's Eric Pincus notes the Lakers' challenging schedule ahead.

ESPN's Marc Stein may have dropped the Lakers to No. 4, but he provides some good perspective on the team's recent success.

More Lakers links

The Times' Broderick Turner notes that the Lakers believe they can bounce back from their current adversity.

PTI debates whether the Lakers should be concerned heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

The Orange County Register's Earl Bloom says it shouldn't be a big deal that Bryant didn't shake hands with members of the Magic on Sunday after he missed a potential game-winning shot. It reminded him of LeBron James' case following last season's playoff exit.

The Register's Janis Carr lists 10 things that could disrupt the Lakers.

Carr has a poll asking if Bryant is shooting too much.

ESPN Los Angeles' Doug Mann does some number-crunching.

Reggie Miller explains to Sports Illustrated's Dan Patrick why he's concerned about the Lakers' bench.

The Press-Enterprise's Gregg Patton said the Lakers are treating their three-game losing streak as if their troubles are behind them.

The Daily News' Elliott Teaford analyzes what led to the Lakers' three-game losing streak.

Raptors coverage

The National Post's Eric Koreen dissects Toronto's poor defense.

Raptors Republic previews Tuesday night's matchup between the Lakers and Toronto.

The Toronto Sun's Frank Zicarelli says forward Chris Bosh is just phasing back into the lineup after missing seven games because of an ankle sprain (six games) and a stomach virus (one game).

Tweet of the Day: "lakers fans are spoiled u guys lost three games and ur upset its REGULAR SEASON.. if u lost 3 in a row in the PLAYOFFS then u should b upset" -- clipperdarrell (Clippers' fan Clipper Darrell)

Video Caption Contest Winner: "Okay, Matty Barnes. Thanks for showing me you don't have four rings on your hand." -- Pelumi

Reader Comment of the Day: "I think the Lakers have hit rock bottom, this could actually be good. Lakers can at least now start to regain that belief and build some momentum." -- johnny

-- Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Photo: Kobe Bryant wraps a no-look pass around his head as he's surrounded by Toronto Raptors defenders. Credit: Warren Toda / EPA

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant entered the media scrum Monday with a testy and determined attitude. It was likely similar to his attitude at a team meeting Saturday, where recent struggles were discussed and Bryant said later he had some choice words for his teammates.

But, despite the Lakers closing out a winless three-game trip Sunday with a 96-94 loss to Orlando, Bryant had a positive spin for reporters Monday after practice at the Lakers' facility in El Segundo, though he wasn't particularly in a mood to talk. (He was late to team warmups against Orlando due to an upset stomach, and though he felt "a lot better," he said, "I’m getting a stomach virus now with all these questions.") Still, he explained why he felt encouraged in spite of the Lakers' latest loss. 

"We played well enough to win," he said. "You got games sometimes where you play hard and lose the ballgame. We lost to a quality team. We played hard."

That's not making the situation any easier for the Lakers, whom Bryant described as "upset" and a "little edgy." They suffered their first three-game losing streak since Jan. 23-27, 2008, not too long before the team acquired forward Pau Gasol. And though overall records would indicate the Lakers (46-18) stand to win Tuesday night's contest against Toronto (32-29), the team lost to the Raptors last month, 106-105. The Lakers could be looking at their first four-game losing streak since April 2007. 

Some may be worried about the Lakers’ offense after their recent performance on the road, but Bryant is more upbeat.

"We’re getting really good looks; they just didn’t fall for us," said Bryant, who scored a team-high 34 points on only 12-of-30 shooting against Orlando. "That’ll happen. You can’t hang your hat on that. That’s not going to get it done. Defensively, we get it done. Yesterday, we shot a bad percentage from the field and still held them to 40% from the field. That gave us a chance to win the game."

The ball approached Kobe Bryant. Bryant stared right back at it. The ball went away.

That's the simple "See Spot Run" explanation when describing Bryant's outward indifference to Orlando's Matt Barnes pretending to throw an inbounds pass to his face in what eventually resulted in a Lakers' 96-94 loss Sunday to the Magic. But how is that utterly possible, given just normal human reflexes? It's long been established that Bryant is far from normal, but the latest example raised the ante just a little bit. 

As for Bryant's explanation? Well, it seems that whether it's regarding his poor shooting or Barnes' antics, Bryant can't resist saying something that won't require muting his audio or bracketing out his quotes.

"I knew he wasn't going to do [anything]," Bryant said. "What would I flinch for?"

That certainly wasn't the case in the video below. Though Bryant mostly maintained a stoic and curt tone with reporters after Monday's practice, he let out a laugh after acknowledging he saw the video featuring the inbounds play. Bryant also expressed some annoyance when a reporter wondered how it was possible he didn't flinch with the ball so close to his face. 

This leads us into another Video Caption Contest describing the footage at the top of the post. Feel free to share your ideas below, and it will be featured in tomorrow's links post as the Video Caption Contest Comment of the Day. As an added bonus, we'll still have the general Reader Comment of the Day, so any words of wisdom regarding anything else Lakers-related won't go unnoticed.  

--Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Photo: In this television screen capture from Sunday’s game, Matt Barnes pretends to throw an inbounds pass at Kobe Bryant’s face. Credit: ABC/ESPN.

Minutes after practice ended Monday, Lakers forward Ron Artest swished jump shot after jump shot. I hadn't counted right away, but when I kept hearing the net swish time after time, I managed to count seven shots in a row that finished with nothing but twine.

With Artest deciding to shave his head two days after dyeing it purple and gold, feel free to see it as a fresh start. I'm not the superstitious type myself, but if it makes you feel this is a sign Artest will immediately rebound from his two-for-10 clip Sunday against Orlando as well as from his poor defense on Vince Carter (25 points), then feel free. For those longing for Artest to look like Dennis Rodman, well, save the photo to the right because it had the shelf life of exactly one day. The only signs you could see of Artest's dyed look was the purple dye that read "defense" in three different languages, including Japanese, Hebrew and Hindi.

The video below doesn't reveal anything specific beyond it being vintage Artest. He says the new hairdo had nothing to do with his performance against Orlando, that his teammates didn't offer much of a response to the dye job and that Carter didn't say anything to him about it when they were on the court. Said Artest: "He's a good drummer. I asked when is the next time you're going to be playing drums or whatever, because I want to do some music with him."

Hmm, interesting. Hopefully it won't require time away from basketball like the rap album did.

Those wondering what the team thought of all the commotion will still be left with questions. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant didn't say a single word about Artest's old or new hairdo when asked about it. For those thinking that was a sign of disapproval, well, Bryant was testy Monday for the entire brief time he talked with the media.

As for Artest's take on whether he was instructed to shave his head, he paused for a few seconds. "Ummm, nah," Artest said smiling. "Nobody."

But what do you think? Do you like Artest's shaved look, wish he stayed with the purple or gold or think he should've just kept his hair the way it was? Vote below and share your thoughts in the comments section below.

-- Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com.

Photo: Lakers forward Ron Artest, greeting Magic center Dwight Howard before tipoff Sunday, was sporting blond hair with purple letters, spelling "defense" in three languages. Credit: John Raoux / Associated Press

The Lakers were already sporting a different look upon their return to Southern California on Monday, with Sasha Vujacic back on the court and Ron Artest unveiling his second hairdo in two days.

Coach Phil Jackson said Vujacic would likely return Tuesday against Toronto at Staples Center from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him since Feb. 19.

Artest shaved his blond hair, but the dye with the word "defense" inscribed in three languages remained.

Kobe Bryant described the Lakers as "a little edgy" in the wake of their first three-game losing streak since January 2008, and the guard lived up to his description with a series of short answers to reporters' questions. Asked if his stomach was feeling better a day after it forced him to miss the team bus to Amway Arena, Bryant said, "I'm getting a stomach virus now with all these questions."

But veteran guard Derek Fisher downplayed the Lakers' struggles.

"There's been a lot of rain in L.A., but it's not our fault," Fisher said. "The sky is not falling."

-- Ben Bolch

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

There's no question the Lakers (46-18) have played worse since guard Kobe Bryant returned to the lineup for the past eight games. The team acknowledged it by holding an air-it-out meeting Saturday following a disheartening loss to Charlotte the previous night. The statistics show it with the Lakers going 4-1 during Bryant's absence because of a left sprained ankle and going 4-4 since his return.

But the reasons for that dropoff are as convoluted as the Lakers' offense itself during the last eight games, mostly recently the team's 96-94 loss Sunday to the Orlando Magic. Bryant spent the first four games upon his return trying to find his lift, which ultimately hurt his shooting stroke. The team defense lacked the same intensity that it displayed during his absence. And then there's the whole area of the team playing without the same urgency, falling back to let-Kobe-bail-us-out-mode and hoping that will sweep any problems the Lakers presented during most of the game.

There's a lot of reasons the Lakers lost Sunday against Orlando, but that reason isn't Kobe Bryant. Sure, he was the one who missed the game winner and he was the one who shot 12 of 30 from the field. But he was also the one who scored a team-high 34 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter and actually put the team in a position to win. 

This chicken-or-the-egg argument -- is the team too dependent on Kobe or does Kobe force the team to be dependent on him - will never end because of Bryant's stature and because there's always new wrinkles to the debate. 

Game stories

The Times' Mike Bresnahan details why the mood in the Lakers' 96-94 loss to the Orlando Magic was a much different setting than when they were here last year celebrating the NBA championship.

The Times' Broderick Turner explains how the Magic's aggressiveness paid off against the Lakers.

The loss to Orlando marks the first time the Lakers have lost three consecutive games since February 2008, when they acquired forward Pau Gasol. But Gasol tells the Orange County Register's Kevin Ding that the team isn't worried about streaks.

NBA.com's Dick Scanion says Orlando hopes its victory over the Lakers proves the team is capable of reaching the NBA Finals again.

The Riverside Press Enterprise's Greg Patton says the effort was there against Orlando, but it doesn't change the fact the Lakers still lost.

The Orlando Sentinel's Brian Schmitz quotes Lakers Coach Phil Jackson as saying, "I think they're as good, maybe better, a little better than they were last year."

The Daily News' Elliott Teaford says Lakers guard Kobe Bryant got the last shot he wanted, but it still didn't go in.

Notebooks

Lakers forward Ron Artest dyed his hair featuring the word defense, but then he allowed Magic forward Vince Carter to scorch him for 25 points. The irony wasn't lost on Bresnahan.

With his new cut, Artest had a blond moment, admitting to Ding that he wasn't aware of the final score.

Patton notes Jackson was okay with Artest's new haircut.

Columns

Despite the loss, Ding says there's plenty for the Lakers to feel good about in their effort against Orlando.

The Orlando Sentinel's George Diaz has a new favorite player in Magic forward Matt Barnes, for guarding Bryant, who Diaz described as the "most formidable of all Hollywood divas."

ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin says Barnes gives Orlando a physical edge.

McMenamin also outlines how the Lakers have struggled since Bryant's return, even though his presence benefits the team.

Fox Sports' Charley Rosen says Orlando's physical play overwhelmed the Lakers.

Blogs

ESPN Los Angeles' Brian Kamenetzkty is rightfully worried about the Lakers' offense.

Forum Blue and Gold notes that though the Lakers had to fight back to try to win against Orlando, there were plenty of things to like about their performance.

Howard the Dunk outlines the four key factors that led to Orlando's victory over the Lakers.

Silver Screen and Roll, in tongue-in-cheek fashion, summed up the Lakers' three-game road losing streak this way: "The Road Trip Went Really Well."

More Lakers links

The Times' entertainment section got Bryant, Artest and Jackson to share their Oscar picks.

The New York Times' Thomas Golianopoulos has a must-read story on the toughest player Artest faced growing up in Queens, N.Y.

ESPN's Lisa Salters talks shop with Artest's barber, "Boogie," about the new dye job.

Tweet of the Day: "No such thing as a (Kobe stopper) he's the badest man n the league. He had 35pts 2day. I jus try 2 make him work 4 every point. Respect!!!" -- Matt_Barnes22 (Orlando Magic forward Matt Barnes).

Reader Comment of the Day: "Color me NOT worried. The Lakers are ramping up their intensity on the court, and when the playoffs start, they'll be in full stride." -- The Outlaw

-- Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Photo: Orlando center Dwight Howard tries to block a reverse layup by Kobe Bryant in the second half Sunday. Credit: John Raoux / Associated Press

With each altercation, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant stared at Orlando forward Matt Barnes with stone-cold silence. Bryant gave Barnes the stare after tussling with him over a rebound in the third quarter, drawing a double technical foul as a referee stepped between them. Bryant gave the Barnes the stare after he dunked over him off a tip in. And Bryant gave Barnes the stare when he pretended to throw the ball at his face during an inbounds pass, something that didn't make Bryant flinch for even a nano second.

Bryant's didn't appear to say much, at least to what was visible on the television screen. But he didn't need to because his body language said it all. Through Bryant's stone-cold stares, he reminded Barnes who he was and that nothing was going to intimidate him. Of course, when it's all said and done, the Lakers walked away as the losers, dropping a 96-94 decision Sunday to Orlando. And despite Bryant's many late fourth-quarter points, his team-leading 34 points came on 12-for-30 shooting with Barnes mainly drawing the defensive assignment. 

This type of contentious matchup isn't anything new for Bryant. Heck, leading up to last week's game against Denver, reserve guard J.R. Smith tweeted "Don't get me wrong kobe is great but not when he play me." Bryant later said that tweet was all in fun and that the two are actually friends. But it didn't appear that way with Barnes. So if anything, a possible Lakers-Magic rematch in the Finals may actually produce something more than groans that LeBron and Co. aren't there to make the league, Nike, sportswriters and fans happy. Tweeted The Times' Mike Bresnahan: "I'm thinking today would have been a bad day to tell Kobe that Matt Barnes is on my fantasy team. (I didn't use him today, though.)"

With the final minutes winding down, the atmosphere at Orlando's Amway Arena featured all the elements of last season's Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Lakers and Orlando Magic.

There were missed free throws, much like Dwight Howard's two late misses that would have virtually ensured a Game 4 victory. There were also big shots, such as the two big three-pointers Derek Fisher made to help the Lakers get on the winning end.

That's why when Vince Carter made only one of two free throws, giving Orlando a two-point lead with 9.7 seconds remaining, it would've been fitting for the Lakers to cap off a similar ending Sunday in a regular-season matchup. But the final sequence went like this: Lakers guard Kobe Bryant brought the ball up the floor. Forward Pau Gasol set a screen on tenacious defender Matt Barnes up top. Howard temporarily doubled Bryant. He then went one on-one against Barnes, crossed right and then pulled up for a 20-foot jumper on the right block.

Instead of marking Bryant's seventh game winner of the season, the shot instead hit the back rim. And the result, a 96-94 Lakers' loss to Orlando closed out a winless three-game trip. 

Unlike last year's NBA Finals, the Lakers look far removed from that championship team. And with the Lakers (46-18) losing three consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 2008 when it acquired Gasol, questions are inevitably going to be raised about the current state of the team. The Lakers had that discussion Saturday coming off a 98-83 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats where players, most notably Bryant, aired out their concerns. Several writers, including myself, thought their latest effort served as a bad warning sign for the rest of the season unless the Lakers made the necessary changes.

I take away the Lakers' latest loss a little differently. The Lakers lost this time not because of a lack of effort, but because of poor execution. Surely that won't assuage the fact that they hold only a three-game edge against Dallas (43-21), a four-game advantage against Denver (41-21) and a five-game advantage against Utah (40-22) for the best conference in the Western Conference standings with 18 games remaining in the regular season. The loss also doesn't help the Lakers' chances in chasing Cleveland (49-15) for the league's best record. But I've maintained that the Lakers' pressing concern isn't how many games it wins in the rest of the regular season, but rather how sharp they look as the postseason begins.

Orlando 96, Lakers 94 (final)

The Lakers had not lost three consecutive games since they acquired Pau Gasol on Feb. 1, 2008.

The Lakers came back to the site where they won the NBA championship last June against the Orlando Magic, looking to keep that streak alive.

They failed, losing after Kobe Bryant missed a potential game-tying jumper as time expired.

Bryant, who scored the last five Lakers' points on a jumper and a crazy three-pointer, finished with 34 points on 12-for-30 shooting.

After Bryant missed his last shot, he pulled his jersey out of his shorts and rushed off the court.

Bryant had been sick with a stomach issue before the game, forcing him to arrive late.

But that didn't stop him from being physical and from getting into it with Magic forward Matt Barnes.

The game got heated in the third quarter.

That's when Bryant and Barnes exchanged bumps and pushes, and got double-technical fouls.

Dwight Howard was called for a technical foul in the third.

Later in the quarter, after Barnes' dunk, he hung on the rim and got in Bryant's face after the play.

Gasol was called for a flagrant foul for hitting Howard on the head following a dunk.

The Lakers and Magic met in the NBA Finals last June, and it was clear that there was some tension between the two teams.

The Lakers beat the Magic in five games to win the franchise's 15th championship.

It was a struggle for the Lakers all game.

They fell behind by 12 points in the third and were unable to come all the way back.

-- Broderick Turner, reporting from Orlando

Photo: Magic guard Vince Carter is fouled by Lakers power forward Josh Powell on a reverse layup in the first half Sunday. Credit: John Raoux / Associated Press

RELATED: Photos from Lakers-Magic game

--Mark Medina

Follow the L.A. Times Lakers blog on Twitter. E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant missed the team bus and showed up 18 minutes late for pre-game activities Sunday because of intestinal issues, according to the team.

He is still expected to play against Orlando, though it is unclear when he fell ill.

"I have no idea," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "I wasn't in his room last night at all. I wasn't there with him. I didn't eat dinner with him either. So maybe he had something that wasn't good at dinner."

In totally unrelated news, Ron Artest arrived with a new dye job and several inscriptions in his hair. He declined to talk about it before the game, though Jackson said he thought it said "defense" in three different languages. Artest will presumably talk about it after the game.

-- Mike Bresnahan

Photo: All-Star guard Kobe Bryant brings the ball up court against Charlotte on Friday night. Credit: Sam Sharpe / US Presswire