Day off assists Lakers' wounded

The Los Angeles Lakers took a much-needed break Thursday.

After playing seven games in 11nights, they called off practice and spent the day trying to heal their many wounds. They play only once in the next seven nights, so it was as good a time as any to avoid the practice gym.

When they gather again today, it will be with the knowledge that they have reached a point of self- discovery. They have learned who they are and how they must play in order to be competitive in the hard-hearted Western Conference.

Above all, they have realized they are no longer a one-man team. Kobe Bryant does not have to do it all by himself for them to win.

In fact, they have been at their best when they have played with balance, with a sense of togetherness that wasn't always present in recent seasons.

The Los Angeles Lakers' 111-107 victory Wednesday night over the Nuggets in Denver reinforced the notion that the team is better when everyone plays together.

They improved to 10-0 when they have more assists than their opponents, for example.

"It was a big-time win for us," center Chris Mihm said. "Everyone bonded together. It shows what we can do."

The Los Angeles Lakers are 11-8, a mark of distinction given a seemingly endings string of injuries.

They were without big men Kwame Brown (sprained left knee and ankle) and Ronny Turiaf (mild concussion), but still managed to defeat the Nuggets on Wednesday and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.

Kobe Bryant suffered a bruised left shoulder after a hard fall against Denver, and was not himself after coming down with the stomach flu before Tuesday's game.

Andrew Bynum also had an upset stomach, and sat out against Minnesota but played limited minutes against Denver.

Then there is Mihm, who continues his slow recovery from two ankle surgeries that forced him to miss all of last season.

"I know I'll be treating the heck out of my foot," Mihm said.

The Los Angeles Lakers will be back on the court today and Saturday in preparation for Sunday's home game against the Golden State Warriors. Then they get three more days off before facing the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday at Staples Center.

All about the 3s

When the Los Angeles Lakers shot 10 for 26 on 3-pointers against Denver, it prompted Phil Jackson to take a new look at his team's perimeter game.

"I'm beginning to think 3-point shooting is the difference in ballgames in the NBA," the Los Angeles Lakers coach said. "If you can shoot well from the 3-point line, you can have great success. We shot well from the 3-point line and that was a big difference."

Select company

Denver Nuggets coach George Karl had this to say about Kobe Bryant: "I think he's one of the top three talents that have ever played the game, (joining) Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson."

Pricey property

The Los Angeles Lakers are the NBA's second-most valuable franchise despite decreasing in value by two percent, according to a list compiled by Forbes. The Los Angeles Lakers dropped to $560 million from $568 million, but trailed only the New York Knicks at $604 million. New York also had a league-high $196 million in revenues for 2006-07.

The Chicago Bulls were third with a value of $500 million. Detroit was fourth and Houston was fifth.

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