It appeared all of the traveling had taken its toll.

Four games into an eight-game trip, the Lakers had already logged plenty of miles and had visited two different states ( Ohio and New York ) one different country ( Canada , our friendly northern neighbors) and the city the USA calls our nation's capital ( Washington D.C. ). And Wednesday, the Lakers began the second half of the set of road games with a visit to Indiana , the trip's second series of back-to-backs.

The score -- a 118-96 Lakers victory over the Pacers -- may suggest the Lakers coasted and maintained the same energy level that was on display the night before in The District. But the grind during its "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego" excursion initially appeared taxing the team. This time, the Lakers couldn't depend on President Obama for inspiration. He was kind of busy giving the State of the Union address.

After holding only a 59-56 halftime lead, the Lakers went on a third-quarter run that featured 33 points, 10 of 18 shooting and a 10 of 11 clip from the charity stripe. Meanwhile the Pacers scored only 22 points on 10 of 23 field goals and had zero trips to the free-throw line. The effort was similar to the team's second-quarter effort in Washington where the bench scored 38 points, caused the Wizards to score only 15 points and commit six turnovers en route to a 60-44 halftime lead. That high energy level wasn't as evident right away against Indiana .

The Lakers (35-11) didn't need to worry about a Troy Murphy tip-in at the buzzer. Instead, they built a second-half lead as large as 24 points, securing their second consecutive victory and improving their mark on this trip to 3-2. But the Lakers missed an opportunity to build momentum and confidence by cruising early against a sub-.500 opponent.

There were positive signs to take away from this game, no doubt. Lakers center Andrew Bynum scored 22 of his season-high 27 points in the first half, going 12 of 14 from the field and grabbing 12 rebounds. Kobe Bryant had 29 points, shot 10 of 15, had nine rebounds and dished out seven assists, an effort that marked the fourth consecutive game Mamba has embraced a distributing role and the second consecutive game he shot at least .500.

But the Lakers had only a three-point halftime lead, largely because of Bryant and Bynum. They combined for 32-first half points and shot 15 of 18 from the field, while the rest of the team scored 27 points but shot nine of 33. Lakers forward Pau Gasol had a limited four-of-13 showing in the first half, something the Lakers absorbed because of Bynum's performance inside.

That all changed in the third quarter, however. The Lakers' 11-2 run in the early part of the quarter featured Bryant's six points and Gasol's five points. Their 9-2 run to close out the quarter gave them a 92-78 lead. Gasol and Lamar Odom each had a better second half, with Gasol scoring 12 of his 21 points and shooting four of five and Odom scoring seven of his 11 points during that time frame.

All these details will remain a distant memory for the Lakers fairly soon, with stops to Philadelphia , Boston and Memphis left on this trip. So even if it wasn't the best first half for the Lakers, they still walked away with a W.

Lakers vs Pacers news:
Indiana Pacers News:
Lakers vs Pacers Preview 11/20/2007 Indiana 87, L.A. Lakers 101 12/04/06
Los Angeles Lakers vs Indiana Pacers 12/04/06
Lakers vs Pacers Preview 2/02/2007
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NBA Future:
Kevin Durant
Strengths: His upside is out of this world ... This kid is not even begining to scratch the surface of his potential ... Looking at him you see his frame is going to fill out in 3-4 years ... Very fluid athlete with explosiveness ... He plays hard and is still learning the game ... Provided he works hard, Durant is going to be a special player in the league who will be able to do many different things on the court ... Not aggressive enough to be like KG, but skilled enough down the road to contribute like a AK47 or a Grant Hill... Developing inside outside game ... Can shoot the 3 and flush in transition ... It is scary to think of what he could be like if he puts on 15 lbs of muscle and developed a handle, a 2010 version of KG!

NBA Future:
Thaddeus Young
Thaddeus Young Top-10 national prep senior who is the youngest of Tech's incoming freshmen and an outstanding student ... Highly-rated small forward with long arms, toughness and grit, unafraid to post up and bang inside ... Can guard on the perimeter well.

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Phil Jackson news:
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