Four years after breaking up the duo of 
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the Los Angeles Lakes have returned to the ranks of contenders in the Western Conference. After winning a crosstown matchup with the L.A. Clippers last night, the Lakers stand 38-17 and tied for first place in the Western Conference with the Phoenix Suns. And, since the Lakers beat Phoenix on Wednesday to win the season series 3-1, they hold the tie-breaker and would have home-court advantage throughout the West playoffs if the season ended today - not that that means much in the topsy-turvy West.
When the Lakers last visited Seattle on Jan. 14, they held that same position atop the Western Conference. However, that standing was precarious at best because the day of that game, the Lakers learned that center Andrew Bynum would likely miss eight weeks after suffering a subluxation of his left patella. Bynum had averaged 13.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game, starting 25 of his 35 games.
After Bryant's game-winner gave the Lakers a two-point overtime victory over the Sonics, they lost five of their next seven games. The last of the seven was also the first game of a brutal nine-game road trip. With the Lakers struggling and the crowded playoff race in the West, suddenly a postseason berth no longer looked like a guarantee.
Then, on Feb. 1, Mitch Kupchak struck. The Lakers general manager used the expiring contract of center Kwame Brown as the centerpiece of a deal to add big man Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies, sending the Grizzlies rookie guard Javaris Crittenton, two future first-round picks and the rights to Gasol's brother Marc. Gasol - Pau, that is - gives the Lakers an All-Star-caliber big men to step into Bynum's spot in the lineup and provide an inside complement to Bryant's perimeter brilliance.
The Lakers won two games on the road before getting Gasol in the lineup, then won five of his first six games to finish the nine-game road trip at 7-2. They have won their three games since the All-Star break to extend their winning streak to a season-long seven games and move to 8-1 with Gasol. During that span, the Lakers have outscored opponents by a dominant 12.6 points per game, including five wins by double-figures.
With Gasol in the lineup, the Lakers have achieved high efficiency on offense. They've posted an Offensive Rating of 118.1 points per 100 possessions over the last nine games. That would easily lead the league over the course of the season. As it is, the Lakers rank second in the NBA with their season-long 113.6 Offensive Rating.
Gasol has needed no adjustment period in Los Angeles, averaging 21.9 points per game, which would be a career high. Gasol is hitting 65.1% of his shots, a dramatic improvement from his 50.1% mark in Memphis. With the Lakers, Gasol is getting set up for easy shots in the paint; according to 82games.com (with a hat tip to the APBRmetrics message board), Gasol is taking 60% of his shots in L.A. in the paint, up from 45% in Memphis. His percentage of assisted shots has also gone up from 58% to 71%.
The development of Bynum followed by the addition of Gasol has allowed Bryant to scale back his role in the offense. After using 38.8% of L.A.'s possessions in his record-breaking 2005-06 campaign, Bryant saw that drop to 33.6% last year and 32.1% so far this season. Yet Bryant remains as dangerous as ever, capable of taking over when the need arises. Nobody knows that better than the Sonics. In the last four Lakers-Sonics matchups, Bryant has gone for 45-plus points three times. His 50 points last April 15 were the most ever scored by a Laker against the Sonics, and Bryant nearly matched it in the last meeting on Jan. 14, scoring 48 points, including the game-winning shot just before the buzzer.
As strange as it might sound, the Sonics and rookie forward 
Jeff Green did a strong job of defending Bryant in the last meeting. Bryant required 44 shots to rack up his 48 points, a number he's unlikely to approach with Gasol in the lineup, and attempted a mere seven free throws. The Sonics will counter the hot Lakers offense with a defense that is improving rapidly. The Sonics now rank sixth in the league in opposing field-goal percentage (tied, coincidentally, with the Lakers) at 44.5% allowed from the field.
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A little over two years ago, the Sonics swapped Vladimir Radmanovic to the LA. Clippers for  Chris Wilcox. They'll match up tonight, pitting their contrasting strengths against each other. Wilcox's powerful dunks helped the Sonics build energy and get the crowd in Friday's win over Portland. Point guard  Earl Watson said after the game that getting Wilcox going was his primary goal entering the game, and he finished with 14 points and six boards. Radmanovic, who signed with the Lakers as a free agent after a half-season with the crosstown rival Clippers, thrives on spreading the floor. He is hitting 41.2% from downtown this season, which would be his best mark since his rookie season in Seattle.
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LAST TIME
Bryant's heroics were too much for the Sonics to overcome in a 123-121 Lakers overtime victory Jan. 14 at KeyArena. Bryant scored a season-high 48 points and attempted 44 shots as the Lakers compensated for the loss of Bynum. However, Watson stripped Bryant on the final play of regulation after 
Kevin Durant tied the game with a three-pointer, sending the teams to an extra session. The Sonics went up four early in OT, but went cold and saw Bryant hit consecutive shots to tie the game. The score was even with 20.3 seconds left when the Lakers took possession. Bryant isolated against Green, elevated and hit a jumper with 4.3 seconds left to put the Lakers ahead. The Sonics got the ball to 
Nick Collison for a tying attempt at the buzzer, but it bounced off and the Lakers held on.
Despite the outcome, there were lots of impressive numbers for the Sonics. Collison had 24 points and 18 boards, both of them season highs. 
Luke Ridnour was brilliant off the bench, handing out 11 assists in 24 minutes. That tied the most by any Sonics player this season. Green played terrific defense on Bryant, who attempted just seven free throws, and had 14 points and seven rebounds. Kurt Thomas and Wilcox both finished a rebound shy of double-doubles, and Watson handed out nine assists. Wally Szczerbiak scored 18 points and kept the Sonics in the game in the second quarter.
Kia Surprising Stat
INJURIES
Sonics - Center 
Robert Swift (torn meniscus, right knee) is out.
L.A. Lakers - Forward Trevor Ariza (fractured right foot) and centers Andrew Bynum (subluxed patella, right knee) and Chris Mihm (right ankle surgery) are out.
For more analysis before tonight's game, listen to the Sonics Pregame Show starting at 5:30 on KTTH 770 AM.
