We interrupt the free-agent news to bring you another reminder of why you love Ron Artest so much. It's unclear which game this encounter took place in the series. But most fans vividly remember the opening tip of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, with Artest locking arms with the Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce. Both fell to the ground and were assessed technical fouls. At the time, the Lakers thought that play helped set the tone in their 102-89 Game 1 victory and showed that they were a much different team than in their 2008 Finals loss to Boston.

This picture captures the intensity rather well and leads to the inevitable question about whether Artest was about to kiss Pierce on the lips. But this is far from a love story. Pierce obviously looks flustered with his mouth hung open and his headband out of place. Meanwhile, Artest is staring straight ahead with his eyes and forearm locked on Pierce, seemingly suggesting that there's no way Artest will cede an inch to Pierce.

The best caption to this photo will be featured in Friday's links post.

-- Mark Medina

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

Photo: Lakers forward Ron Artest and Celtics forward Paul Pierce nearly come to blows with each other in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Credit: Associated Press.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has every right to say that Phoenix forward Amare Stoudemire was lucky he dunked on him as indicated in the photo at left from the Lakers' 124-112 Game 2 West Finals victory Wednesday over the Phoenix Suns. When your eyes are covered with beady sweat dripping off the palm of Stoudemire, there's really not much you can do. I also have to wonder whether Bryant would've extended his left arm directly under the basket had he been able to see.

As for the Lakers' plan of attack against Stoudemire on the other end? Easy. Drop the ball inside. He'll let you score. As I mentioned before via Twitter, "It's amazing to see Amare play horrible defense in real time." The Lakers themselves won't say anything, of course, refusing to get into a back-and-forth exchange after Stoudemire said Lamar Odom's 19 points and playoff career-high 19 rebounds in Game 1 simply reflected a "lucky game."

Odom did his talking in Game 2 on the court, posting 17 points and 11 rebounds. That leaves you the fans to do the talking instead, including writing a caption to this photo. The best caption regarding Stoudemire's face-masking of Bryant won't be the only comment featured in Friday morning's links post. Below is a photo of Suns center Robin Lopez tussling in the post with Odom and Lakers forward Pau Gasol. And the photo makes it clearly obvious Lopez's frustration extends beyond the Lakers' length and skill set inside.

Gasol's been largely credited for his consistency by scoring at least 20 points in six of the last eight games, including a 14-point fourth-quarter effort in Game 2. But it appears his dominance also entails knowing when to throw the Lopez a flash of odor. And by Lopez's reaction, it's clear Gasol's SpeedStick wore out.

--Mark Medina

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

Top photo: Phoenix forward Amare Stoudemire puts his hand over Lakers guard Kobe Bryant's face during a missed dunk attempt during the second half of Game 2 of the Western Conference finals Wednesday. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times.

Bottom photo: Lakers forward Lamar Odom, left, forces a jump ball on Phoenix center Robin Lopez as Lakers center Pau Gasol defends during Game 2 of the Western Conference finals Wednesday. Credit: Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times.

The old adage that a picture is worth 1,000 words can't be overstated enough regarding this photo of Lakers guard Kobe Bryant.

You can focus on his perplexed look at the basketball. You can wonder why Oklahoma City forward Jeff Green appears to be rubbing Bryant's head. Or you can stare in amazement at Bryant's right index finger, which looks like it was tightly wrapped by Lakers trainer Gary Vitti before the game.

That's why it makes for a great Photo Caption contest. But we're not going to keep it to one photo. Los Angeles Times photographer Robert Gauthier also documented pretty well the intensity Lakers forward Ron Artest brings on defense in the photo below.

In the photo featuring Artest, he forced Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook into a jump ball situation before Westbrook fell to the ground. Much of Westbrook's ineffectiveness in Game 5 points to Bryant's defense forcing him to a four-of-13 shooting night in the Lakers' 111-87 victory Tuesday over Oklahoma City. But Bryant agreed with a reporter's assessment that Artest's forcing a jumpball during Westbrook's drive with 10:46 remaining in the first quarter helped set the defensive tone for the rest of the game.

The game "was going to be contested," Bryant said of Artest's play. "They weren't going to be able to just drive the ball to the basket and get layups without us contesting. They were going to have to make tough shots."

And the Thunder would have to expose themselves to embarrassing photos in the process. While Artest appears to be palming the ball with just one hand, it looks like he's performing a wrap-around on Westbrook, making for a great clip to attach to Artest's resume should he ever want to apply for a job with WWE. 

It also appears that Westbrook's wristbands show he's a fan of various causes, and ones that match his Thunder uniform. Then there's also Andrew Bynum's ridiculous length, which would've been a nice insurance policy had Artest hadn't already neutralized Westbrook. 

What sticks out the most in this photo, however, entails Artest's various hand injuries, including his sprained left thumb.

Provide your own caption to both pictures in the comments section below. The best captions for the Bryant and Artest pictures will be featured in Friday morning's links post. 
 

--Mark Medina

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

While digging up Oklahoma City Thunder photos in our archives, I came across this photo. Clearly, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant treated the basketball rim like his own swing set last season during a regular-season matchup with Oklahoma City.

So what's the relevance of this photo? Nothing, other than that it makes for a great photo caption contest. There's been quite a few of these contests, but I blame the Lakers photographers, who have provided plenty of great images. The best comment will be featured in Saturday's morning links post.

-- Mark Medina

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

Photo: Kobe Bryant dunks against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Credit: Stephen Dunn / Getty Images

Lakers forward Ron Artest never fails to make us laugh, whether it's appearing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" wearing only boxer briefs, bleaching his hair or pretending to be oblivious about everything, including his injuries, details of an opponent or the triangle offense (OK, the last one legitimately confuses him).

The above photo also draws a few chuckles, with Artest appearing like he's going to come to blows with Clippers guard Steve Blake. Ron, don't be too physical with him. His triple-double performance in the Lakers' 107-91 loss Wednesday to the Clippers led some writers to suggest that this may serve as a tryout to join the Lakers next season.

As always, the best photo caption will be featured in Friday's morning links post.

-- Mark Medina

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

Photo: Ron Artest, left, and Clippers guard Steve Blake battle for a rebound during Wednesday's game. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

The Machine is back. And it apparently comes with a new nickname. "He is an offensive rebounding machine," joked Lakers Coach Phil Jackson after Sasha Vujacic scored a season-high 13 points and grabbed four offensive rebounds in the Lakers' 106-100 victory Tuesday over the Sacramento Kings.

And to think, two weeks ago it appeared Vujacic essentially played himself out of the rotation after arguing with assistant coaches during the Lakers' 91-75 loss March 26 to Oklahoma City. Not only did Vujacic's season-high performance give Jackson reason to think Vujacic's confidence boosted, the Zen master anticipates Vujacic will have a bigger role off the bench in the postseason.

Still, Jackson noticed some tendencies lurking.

"He took a shot early in the second period when he came into the ballgame that was inappropriate," Jackson said. "Its an indication how much he thinks he has to score to stay on the floor. I keep telling him it's about team effort. It's about how your group does. It's not about an individual effort. That’s the kind of things that are prevalent on our bench that we have to really work with."

Another thing that appears to have stayed the same is Vujacic's fiery demeanor, which is on full display in the photo to the right. It definitely appears the Kings got a rise out of the "machine." The best photo caption will be featured in Thursday's links post.

-- Mark Medina

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

Photo: Sasha Vujacic, left, loses control of the ball in front of Kings forward Carl Landry during Tuesday's game. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has become used to basketballs getting close to his face, what with Orlando's Matt Barnes' pretend throw not even causing Bryant to flinch. Lately, however, Bryant has had trouble holding onto the ball. It's not clear whether the photo above documents a Bryant turnover, but his month-long average of four turnovers per contest is far from desirable. It also speaks to that everlasting fractured right index finger Bryant continues to fight through.

How would you describe this photo? The best caption will be featured in tomorrow's morning links post.

-- Mark Medina

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

Photo: Lakers guard Kobe Bryant gets a close-up look at a loose ball during a scramble with Washington center Andray Blatche and teammate Josh Powell in the first half Sunday. Credit: Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times.

For too long, Lakers forward Pau Gasol has had to battle the perception of being a soft player. The criticism rang true when Boston center Kendrick Perkins muscled him inside in the 2008 NBA Finals, but since then, some analysts often regurgitated that talking point whenever he had a bad game.

In reality, Gasol fits a finesse role than an imposing inside presence. And even if there have been times, such as this past month, where he hasn't played aggressively enough, that doesn't make him soft.

He made a significant step toward shattering that long held perception in the Lakers' 102-96 victory Friday over the Phoenix Suns. With 5:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, Gasol hit Phoenix backup center Louis Amundson across the face after receiving a pass from guard Steve Nash inside. Amundson fell down on the ground before Gasol and Ron Artest helped him up, igniting the crowd at Phoenix's US Airways Center.

The strongest reaction came from Suns Coach Alvin Gentry, who approached the mid-court line and angrily told officials that it was a flagrant foul. Instead of calling a flagrant foul, referees gave Gentry two technicals, a decision that upset Gentry so much that he had to be restrained from his coaching staff and Phoenix guard Jason Richardson.

Though the play was a hard foul, replays didn't show Gasol reacting with any malicious intent, a sentiment Lakers guard Kobe Bryant shared with reporters.

"Pau gave a hard foul, which is what we like to see from him," Bryant said. "We're not giving up layups and giving up easy opportunities. It's just playing hard. It's not playing dirty, it's just not giving up anything easy."

And since we have a photograph showing the foul, we're opening it up the thread for another Photo Caption contest. The best comment will be featured in tomorrow's links post. 

--Mark Medina

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

Photo: Lakers power forward Pau Gasol fouls Suns forward-center Louis Amundson across the head during the second half Friday night. Credit: Matt York / Associated Press.

Here's betting Lakers guard Kobe Bryant had some choice words, as indicated by the photo above, after hitting a game-winning shot Dec. 4 in a 108-107 victory over the Miami Heat. My initial thought: Mamba recited Denzel Washington's infamous line in "Training Day," a phrase I can't fully quote or even link to, as per Times policy, I'm told. So how would you caption this photo? (And we're talking ones that won't get the MPAA upset).

Bryant's first of six game winners this season came against the Heat after guard Dwyane Wade missed one of two free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining. Mamba took an inbounds pass from Lakers forward Ron Artest near the left sideline, went toward the middle of the court and then shot a fall-away desperation 27-foot shot from the top of the key. The shot banked in and capped a 33-point performance.

In case you want to relive the moment, watch the video below. It's something the Heat organization has replayed numerous times leading up to Thursday's Lakers-Heat rematch, not only in the film rooms but apparently also in their nightmares .

That leads us to another photo caption contest, with the winner getting a nod in the "Reader Comment of the Day." I'd love to promise a free T-shirt or something, but we'll take it one step at a time. Share your take 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: Kobe Bryant reacts after beating the buzzer in the Lakers' game against Miami at Staples Center in Dec. 4, 2009. The Lakers face the Heat again Thursday, but this time the game is on the road, where they are 9-8 since late December. Credit: Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press

On a post detailing Kobe Bryant's high volume of shots the last two games, none of the initial comments regarded the Mamba's latest shooting woes or his right-index-finger injury.

But that's perfectly understandable. Instead, all the comments were in relation to a possible  Andrew Bynum trade for the Toronto Raptors' Chris Bosh. Now, all the Lakers need to do is find a way to get LeBron James, and Lakers fans should be set.

The New York Post story, reported by longtime NBA writer Peter Vecsey, cited a Lakers source indicating the team is trying to acquire Bosh before the Feb. 18 trade deadline:

"In itself, the one-for-one swap is impossible to make. Bynum’s “base year” essentially allows L.A. to take back but half of his salary this year ($12.5M). Of course, that restriction is lifted when next year’s salary ($13.7M) activates come July 1, at which time a sign-and-trade transaction would be feasible."

With Bosh set to be a free agent next summer, Vecsey suggests the Raptors' likelihood of protecting "its principal asset" might be "impractical," giving Toronto reason to believe that if Bosh's departure is inevitable, they may as well get something for it. And the reason Bynum appears to be the most realistic choice for the Lakers? Vecsey describes the other options --- Sasha Vujacic (one year left at a reported $5.475 million), Jordan Farmar and Adam Morrison (both free agents next summer) --- as "marginal goods".

An e-mail from Toronto team President Bryan Colangelo to Vecsey stating he is "not actively seeking a deal or discussing Bosh with any team, much less the Lakers" suggests the team is waiting for others to make offers and then follow suit.

ESPN's Marc Stein reports the Houston Rockets are one of the interested parties, even if a Bosh trade doesn't come with a guarantee that they can re-sign him this summer. The same story notes in a separate table that the Lakers owe $21,430,778 in luxury taxes unless they can make a move before the Feb. 18 deadline to get under the tax threshold, which dropped from $71.15 million last season to $69.9 million this season. The Lakers currently have a reported $91.3-million payroll.  

Feel free to continue the comments thread. In the meantime, here are some more Lakers links.

-- The Times' Mark Heisler has his weekly NBA rankings. SPOILER ALERT: Lakers fans may not like them.

-- Lakers Coach Phil Jackson estimated that forward Pau Gasol would return 10 days after he injured his sprained left hamstring. Because it's an estimate, there are many ways to do the math since Gasol injured his hamstring last Sunday against Dallas, but hadn't missed a game until the Lakers played Houston on Tuesday. The Times' Mike Bresnahan mentions Gasol's return could be Tuesday at San Antonio or Wednesday at Dallas. And the Daily News' Elliott Teaford writes that could also mean Gasol would return Friday against the Clippers.

-- Even though the Lakers currently rank second in field-goal-percentage defense, the Riverside Press Enterprise's Jeff Eisenberg notes that eight of the Lakers' past 10 opponents have eclipsed 100 points. The Kamenetzky brothers put together a podcast breaking down the Lakers' perimeter D. Unless the Lakers sharpen up in that area quickly, don't expect free tacos anytime soon.

-- Mamba may have other reasons to feel motivated for tonight's game against Milwaukee beyond the Lakers' two-game losing streak, his finger injury, his shooting woes and his ridiculous work ethic. His esteemed Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Cowboys, Dallas' first playoff victory since 1996 and the first time Philly has dropped an opening-round playoff game during Andy Reid's tenure as the team's head coach.

-- After taking a season-high 37 shots against Portland, Bryant said it was because no one else was doing anything to fill Pau Gasol's absence, writes the Oregonian's Geoffrey C. Arnold

-- Photo caption contest: Great photo gallery of longtime Lakers fan and actor Jack Nicholson. I'll post some of the best captions in the next links post.

Tweet of the Day: "Brandon Roy summing up how hard most teams play against L.A.: "Anytime you play the Lakers, everybody is excited about it." -- LakersReporter (Mike Trudell of Lakers.com)

--Mark Medina

Follow the LA Times Lakers blog on Twitter.

Photo: Lakers center Andrew Bynum guards Clippers center Chris Kaman in the Lakers' 102-91 loss to the Clippers on Wednesday night. Credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times