A little more than a year after a blockbuster trade helped vault them to the top of the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers were mostly content to stick with their talented roster as Thursday's trade deadline passed.
The New Orleans Hornets were among the teams that agreed to a big trade, but it didn't go through - and they may be better off for it.Tyson Chandler probably won't be in the lineup for the Hornets on Friday night, but his eventual return could give his teammates a boost as they look to become the first opponent to beat the NBA-leading Lakers twice at Staples Center this season.
The deadline was still a few weeks away last season when Los Angeles acquired Pau Gasol from Memphis for two players and two draft picks on Feb. 1, 2008, and the Spanish center did not disappoint, helping the team advance to the NBA finals.
With Gasol's 18.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game complementing another stellar season from Kobe Bryant, the Lakers (44-10) have surged back to the top of the standings. Even though center Andrew Bynum is out for an extensive time with a knee injury for the second straight season, Los Angeles made only minor deals before the deadline as it prepares to chase the franchise's 15th NBA title.
The Lakers haven't needed any help lately, winning nine of their last 10. They opened the second half with victories on back-to-back nights over Atlanta and Golden State, using a late 17-3 run to beat the Warriors 129-121 on Wednesday.
Playing at Golden State's typical fast pace, Los Angeles had 33 assists - two off its season high.
"We just shared the ball, and every time you play that way, it's rewarding," Lakers center Josh Powell said.
New Orleans point guard Chris Paul is among the league's best at sharing the ball, but Chandler has been the one in the spotlight this week without even playing. The Hornets (32-20) initially traded their center to Oklahoma City for financial reasons, but the Thunder voided the deal when Chandler did not pass his physical due to a toe issue.
Chandler, who has 11 double-doubles in 32 games this season, hasn't played since Jan. 19 because of an ankle injury. Still, New Orleans' players were happy to hear that the trade fell through, hoping he will solidify the team's front line down the stretch.
"I'm excited to have T.C. back," Paul said. "I think it will give us a huge lift. Hopefully it will bring us closer together. You know, T.C. is family to us, so there won't be any animosity when he comes in here and he understands what's been the goal all along."
With Paul also missing some time due to a groin injury, the Hornets had dropped six of eight going into last weekend's All-Star break. But they won back-to-back games over Oklahoma City and Orlando this week, getting 36 points and 10 assists from Paul in Wednesday night's impressive 117-85 win over the Magic.
"Me and (David West) talked about it before the game last night - if we go down, we've got to go down fighting," Paul said. "Any time you see the rim you've got to shoot it. You can't pass up shots and stuff like that. We just have to be aggressive and see where it takes us."
After losing twice at home to the Lakers earlier this season, the Hornets beat them 116-105 on Jan. 6 at Staples Center. West tied a career-high with 40 points and pulled down 11 rebounds while Paul had 32 points and 15 assists.
The Lakers' 25-4 home record is the West's best.
