Trevor Ariza

In what essentially became a swap of free-agent forwards, the Lakers agreed to contract terms with former Houston Rockets forward Ron Artest while the Rockets reached an agreement with Trevor Ariza on a Thursday that proved to be as unpredictable and impulsive as, well, the Lakers' newest acquisition. Artest, who will be 30 in November, is a formidable defender with scoring skills who enjoys the Los Angeles lifestyle almost as much as the Lakers took pleasure in bringing him into their fold.

The Lakers cleaned out their lockers after another early playoff ricochet, but I'm still working. My editor wanted five moves that would help the Lakers, wouldn't be ridiculed by opposing general managers and would be allowed under the NBA's complicated transaction guidelines. Keep in mind that the Lakers have extremely limited purchasing power for free agents and are an old team with a bloated payroll. Put it this way: Nobody is calling General Manager Mitch Kupchak at 3 a.m., begging him to part with Metta World Peace for two first-rounders.

Lakers forward Trevor Ariza was scoreless in the first half Thursday. He was playing as poorly as the Lakers, who trailed the Orlando Magic at halftime, 49-37. Then came the third quarter. Ariza had 13 points in the quarter, making two three-point baskets and five of six shots overall, as the Lakers outscored the Magic, 30-14, and went on to a 99-91 overtime victory. "Trevor came out and just found something out there," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.

A few things to keep an eye on when the Lakers (26-16) visit the New Orleans Hornets (10-32) Wednesday at the New Orleans Arena. 1. How will the Lakers' focus look? On paper, the Lakers should have no problem coasting to an easy win against the Hornets. You may have heard New Orleans doesn't have Chris Paul anymore. They're injury-depleted with Emeka Okafor (sore left knee), Eric Gordon (right knee contusion) and Carl Landry (second degree MCL sprain). The Hornets also rank second-to-last in total offense (88.19)

Four months later, Trevor Ariza still has some bitterness when he talks about his contract negotiations with the Lakers. On the court, basketball is about winning, about producing, about becoming an NBA champion. Ariza did all that last season, having the best of his five seasons in the league, as the Lakers won the NBA title with him starting at small forward. Off the court, though, basketball is a business. "You learn that it's cutthroat," Ariza said Tuesday. "It doesn't always go the way you want it to."

Broderick Turner covers the Lakers for The Times. Readers' questions about the Lakers will be answered every week. Question: I think the Lakers are in big trouble. Like other Lakers fans, I was very happy when the Lakers got Ron Artest. I thought about his toughness, being able to play multiple positions, and how his defense was very effective on everybody except Kobe [Bryant]. But I also thought about the bad. Artest is not a great set shooter, he does not take good shots and he is big, but not very quick.

The New Orleans Hornets traded for forward Trevor Ariza on Wednesday, part of a four-team deal that involved the New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers. In exchange for Ariza, who signed a five-year, $34-million contract with Houston last year, the Hornets shipped second-year point guard Darren Collison and forward James Posey to the Pacers. Troy Murphy left the Pacers for the Nets, who sent guard Courtney Lee to Houston. Ariza was a starting forward for the Lakers in 2009 when they won the NBA championship.

He sat in his apartment in New Orleans and watched the Lakers' championship ring ceremony Oct. 26, his emotions starting to get the best of him. He fought back the tears that welled up as the memories of winning back-to-back championships with the Lakers began to flood his thoughts. Eventually, DJ Mbenga just enjoyed the moment, enjoyed watching his former Lakers teammates get their championship rings. He had joined the New Orleans Hornets rather than stay with the Lakers because he sought more money and more playing time.

Lakers tonight VS. HOUSTON When: 7:30. Where: Staples Center. On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 710; 1330. Records: Lakers 27-6; Rockets 20-14. Record vs. Rockets: 1-1. Update: The Lakers needed overtime to beat the Rockets in Houston, 103-102, on Nov. 4, and then lost at home to them 11 days later, 101-91. The Lakers played both games without Pau Gasol, who will probably miss tonight's game because of a strained left hamstring.

Funny thing, how it's all come around for Trevor Ariza. A little more than a year ago, the occupants of the Lakers' locker room were in a quiet state of distress. Brian Cook and Maurice Evans had just been traded to Orlando, causing concern among some Lakers who felt their second-unit chemistry would be affected. They obviously didn't know Ariza. Then again, who really did?

The Lakers may have been in bigger fixes than a 2-2 tie with the (theoretically) overmatched New Orleans Hornets, but here was something we hadn't seen before: Kobe Bryant, age 32, putting it all on the line on a badly sprained ankle … he hoped. It could have been broken, but Bryant didn't know — or didn't want to know — which was why he nixed the medical staff's plan to have him get an MRI. "Well, I was moving OK," said Bryant, after limping through a scoreless first quarter, then going on to lead Lakers scorers with 19 points in their 106-90 victory.

Reporting from New Orleans The start of a seven-game, 13-day trip for the Lakers proved to be anything but easy, even against an injury-depleted New Orleans Hornets team. It meant the Lakers had to dig down on defense. It meant they had to take care of the basketball. And perhaps more important, it meant leaning on Pau Gasol to deliver. The grind-it-out 101-95 victory over the Hornets on Saturday night at the New Orleans Arena could be a harbinger for the Lakers because of the difficult road they still must travel on this trip.

Earl Boykins returned after a one-game suspension to score a season-high 26 points and the Bucks beat the injury-depleted Dallas Mavericks, 99-87, Saturday night in Milwaukee. Missing Dirk Nowitzki for the third consecutive game because of a sprained right knee and Shawn Marion because of a thigh injury, the Mavericks suffered another blow when starting forward Caron Butler injured his right knee in the first quarter. The extend of his injury wasn't immediately known. Dallas lost its third in a row. at San Antonio 101, Oklahoma City 74: Tim Duncan scored 21 points for the Spurs, who followed up wins over the Lakers and Dallas with a rout of another West power and improved their NBA-best record to 29-4, one the 10 best starts in league history.

He sat in his apartment in New Orleans and watched the Lakers' championship ring ceremony Oct. 26, his emotions starting to get the best of him. He fought back the tears that welled up as the memories of winning back-to-back championships with the Lakers began to flood his thoughts. Eventually, DJ Mbenga just enjoyed the moment, enjoyed watching his former Lakers teammates get their championship rings. He had joined the New Orleans Hornets rather than stay with the Lakers because he sought more money and more playing time.

It's a hard world to get a break in when two-time defending champions don't have their own ESPN "microsite," like Some People. If no one else cares, the Lakers are excited about the coming 2010-11 season, too. Oh, it has already started? Those last six games were real? It's quiet around the Lakers, now in no-drama mode, just as I foresaw. Too quiet. Of course, I foresaw it three seasons ago or two seasons early, when the arrival of Pau Gasol, an effortless fit with Kobe Bryant, seemed to herald a new harmonious age. Instead, after strolling through the 2008 postseason ?

Johnny Vander Meer's remarkable 1938 feat of pitching consecutive no-hitters probably won't ever be topped, but throwing two in a row in the playoffs might qualify. ? Roy Halladay has a shot. ? Don Larsen never truly had a chance, his next postseason start after his perfect game in the 1956 World Series not coming until a year later ? in the '57 World Series. ? Larsen gave up a leadoff single to Red Schoendienst on his way to a Game 3 victory over the Milwaukee Braves.

While Ron Artest struggles to get started with the Lakers, Trevor Ariza is thriving in his new home. Ariza scored a career-high 33 points, Aaron Brooks added 28 points and the Houston Rockets held on to beat the Portland Trail Blazers at home for the fifth consecutive time in the regular season, 111-107, on Saturday night. Houston had to overcome a 42-point performance by Brandon Roy and a determined Trail Blazers offense that kept the game close to the end. Ariza's previous career high was 26 points with the Lakers.

Aaron Brooks scored 27 points, Trevor Ariza scored 26 and the Houston Rockets held LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to one of their worst offensive performances of the season in a 95-85 win Wednesday night. James scored 27 points but was only eight for 21 from the field. No other starter reached double figures for the Cavaliers, who matched their season-low points total. They outrebounded Houston, 47-37, but committed 20 turnovers and mustered only 19 points in each of the first and third quarters.

Golf has been no elixir for Tiger Woods .… His numbers still astound, but not in a good way.… For the first time in 12 years, by the way, Woods is playing in a major championship in which someone else is favored.… Step right up, Phil Mickelson .… Golf's four reigning major champions represent four continents: Asia ( Y.E. Yang ), Africa ( Louis Oosthuizen ), Europe ( Graeme McDowell ) and North America (Mickelson).… Renegade JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater's reclaiming his job seems more likely than a third consecutive October matchup between the Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Skillful maneuvering by Mitch Kupchak remade the Lakers into a stronger, deeper team this summer.… Did his peers notice? … Two seasons ago, when the Lakers won the first of their consecutive championships in the wake of Kobe Bryant's venomous 2007 trade demands, Kupchak garnered all of two measly votes in balloting for NBA executive of the year.… Last season, he got none.… Perhaps it was Trevor Ariza's plight since leaving the Lakers that convinced Shannon Brown to stay.