It’s not always pretty, but Lakers pick up third straight win

There were stretches in this game where we finally started to see the Lakers we expected to see when this team was put together… well, not exactly what we expected to see because nobody thought Kobe Bryant the facilitator and Steve Nash working off the ball was what would work best. But it does. Kobe had 11 assists (a career best 39 over three games) and it has become contagious. The Lakers ball movement — and movement off the ball — was beautiful basketball. It torched the Hornets defense for long stretches.

Then there were stretches we saw the disappointing Lakers from much of this season. Like blowing an 18-point fourth quarter lead and having to scramble at the end to earn a 111-106 win at home over New Orleans.

Ugly or pretty, they’ll take it. The Lakers need wins and that is three in a row as they head out on the road for seven straight games. Keep playing like this on the road and then we can start to talk playoffs. But not yet.

The ugliest stretch of the game is why the Hornets had to play catch-up in the first place — Monty Williams did a hockey-change and brought in five guys off the bench and they proceeded to 15 consecutive shots. Ryan Anderson missed threes, Jason Smith missed jumpers, Austin Rivers was Austin Rivers. The Lakers rattled off 17 straight points and the Lakers had a lead they would never surrender.

The Lakers offense was impressive — quick ball movement, Pau Gasol making touch passes, Howard rolling toward the rim, Kobe passing out of doubles quickly. To use the Mike D’Antoni phrase, the ball had energy and when it does it finds the open man. That was Earl Clark at times as he had 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting (4-of-5 from three). That was Dwight Howard rolling to the rim and he had 24 points on 13 shots.

All those pretty passes had the Lakers up 98-80 in the fourth, but the Hornets went on 16-2 run — it started against the Lakers bench but when Kobe, Nash and Howard came back in they couldn’t stem the tide. Anthony Davis had three dunks in the run (he is going to be fantastic, he cuts off the ball like a veteran). It was a 4-point game with three minutes to go and got as low as one later.

But Clark got away with camping in the lane and eventually scored an up-and-under at the basket. Then there was a Steve Nash three. And it was a smart play by Antawn Jamison driving out of the corner and hitting a swooping shot in the paint to seal the win.

The Lakers offense was beautiful but had some dry spells. Their defense was spotty but good enough against the Hornets. It’s a win. The Lakers need wins.

But by the time this seven game road trip is over, we will know a lot more about this Lakers team. And we’ll know if they have a shot at the postseason.