Somebody forgot to tell Ron Artest that the Lakers aren’t supposed to leave Rip City with a win. Come to think of it, even if someone had reminded Artest of the Lakers’ losing record against the Trail Blazers in Portland, there’s a good chance he wouldn’t have paid any attention to it.
That’s just how Artest functions.
The Lakers had previously lost 15 of their last 18 games at the Rose Garden, their last victory coming on February 6, 2010. Neither Kobe Bryant nor Andrew Bynum played that night, yet the Lakers found a way to come together and win, Artest leading the way scoring a game-high 21 points.
It would be in Portland once again that Artest would be ignited, for what could very well be his best overall game in a Lakers uniform. He logged 24 points on eight-of-13 shooting, five-of-six from beyond the arc and put forth a good defensive effort with two steals. It wasn’t just about having an efficient game for Artest, but more about making the right plays at the right times.
While in the opening minutes, he started off a bit like he has for the majority of the season—lost—he later got into a groove, drained a crucial three-point shot late in regulation, hit another in overtime and had a key offensive rebound that all but sealed the Lakers 106-101 victory in the unlikeliest of places.
For the record, Bryant also had a lot to do with the win, but he’s the rule, not the exception.
It was a far cry from his recent string of lowlight performances, and the second straight night in a row that he would make a significant contribution on both offense and defense.
“That’s one of the better games he’s played,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said after the game. “He’s shooting the ball better. The reality is, he made some good shots, some good things happened for him out there and het got confident and comfortable.”
Next: Artest displays what the Lakers have been looking for from him all season
Artest has always had offensive pop to go along with his defensive prowess, but his role on the Lakers doesn’t involve calling his own shots or running isolation plays. When he scored a game-high 21 points last year in Portland, it wasn’t out of the ordinary with Bryant and Bynum out of the lineup. Someone had to step up. Last night however, with Gasol in foul trouble for the majority of the game, the team looked to Artest to deliver. It’s not going to be that way on most nights, but it’s good to know that the team can still rely on Artest when needed on offense.
That wasn’t so much the case earlier in the season or even earlier this month. There was speculation a trade was being drawn up to send the Lakers forward to Charlotte in exchange for Gerald Wallace. Artest has no doubt had a few questionable games. Some even caused Jackson to play him limited minutes down the stretch, opting to insert Matt Barnes into the lineup instead. The injury to Barnes put a damper in the Lakers’ depth and shifted the attention towards Artest’s production.
It didn’t help matters much that Artest’s eccentricity was raising eyebrows of late. After losses in both Charlotte and Cleveland, Artest went on to spray the Odom/Kardashian scent, Unbreakable, at a reporter and promote the release of his new mixtape, respectively. His usual antics combined with poor on-court performances were labeled as a distraction.
Next: Artest’s role on the Lakers team
Luckily, we don’t have to try to understand the inner workings of Artest—we just have to understand what his role on the team is. For now, it’s that of a role player. If Bryant wasn’t a Laker, it would be Pau Gasol’s team. If neither was on the squad, the go-to guy would be Lamar Odom. Artest has gotten the opportunity to be the high-scorer on a nightly basis, but as a Laker has been limited to spot-up shooting and the occasional run at the basket when the other team’s defense falters on offense. The only constant the Lakers were expecting to get from him was on defense.
With the trade deadline looming and coming to an end in a few short hours, the likelihood is that Artest will stay at least for the remainder of the season and try for another fun at the finals.
While fans have been waiting for Artest to perform at the level he did last night, if you ask him, he didn’t do anything different than what he had been doing on previous nights. The accolades bestowed upon him left him unfazed. For Artest the season, much like it is for the rest of the team, is about the bigger picture—what happens in June. He’s just as indifferent to talk about his performance after a loss as he is after a win.
It’s all the same for Ron Artest.
“I always feel comfortable,” Artest said. “I always feel confident. I always feel good. Just because you play bad one game, you can’t blame it on anything. You have to feel the same way. Eat the same breakfast every morning, you can’t change that much.”