It was almost like the Lakers could hear exactly what was going on 1,500 miles away, as if the chants from TD Banknorth Garden rained down on them instead of the surprised silence that surrounded them at New Orleans Arena.
The Lakers put together one of their best games of the season in a 100-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday night, not long after the Boston Celtics won their 19th consecutive game and were sent westward by their fans with the forcefully familiar "Beat L.A." mantra. The Lakers and Celtics play Thursday at Staples Center, a game that seemed to decrease in impact after two consecutive Lakers losses in Florida.
But almost out of nowhere, the Lakers returned to the harassing, haranguing, defense-minded team that lingered near the top of every defensive category through November.
The Lakers held the Hornets to 37 first-half points and cruised the rest of the way, an effort that didn't merely coincide with their upcoming game, the first time they'll see the Celtics since a 131-92 loss to them in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
At the very least, the Lakers salvaged a four-game trip by winning the last two games, adding a dominant effort in New Orleans to a spirited finish in Memphis a night earlier.
"I like the way we came out of this road trip," Coach Phil Jackson said. "I didn't like the way we started it -- we weren't ready -- but we ended it pretty good."
Or, as Lamar Odom said: "We can play, man."
The Lakers (23-5) certainly did against New Orleans (16-8), which had won 11 of its last 13 games coming into Tuesday.
The Lakers crushed the Hornets in the first half, holding them to 37.5% shooting en route to a 56-37 halftime lead.
With the Lakers still ahead by 20 near the eight-minute mark of the fourth quarter, Hornets fans were reduced to clapping for a fan who was "honored" on the scoreboard because he filled out 2,900 All-Star ballots for guard Chris Paul during the game.
It was that kind of evening for New Orleans.
"Two of our worst games have been against this team," Hornets Coach Byron Scott said. "It could be us. It could be them. It could be both."
In the Lakers' visit here last month, their 21-point lead was cut to three but they still won by nine.
On Tuesday, the Hornets found themselves down 21 again, and moved within nine in the waning minutes before the Lakers extended the lead without any issues.
Kobe Bryant had 26 points, six rebounds and four assists. Pau Gasol had a highly efficient 20 points on eight-for-10 shooting. Derek Fisher logged another long game -- 39 minutes -- but seemed no worse for the wear.
Peja Stojakovic didn't play for the Hornets because of a sore back, but the Lakers will take the victory and stash away a future note, should it be needed a few months down the road: The Lakers have won four of their last five games at New Orleans.
Meanwhile, the Celtics (27-2) keep chugging along, drubbing the Philadelphia 76ers, 110-91, and setting a franchise record for consecutive wins. The crowd began its "Beat L.A." chant just past the midpoint of the fourth quarter.
"Yeah, that was nice," Boston Coach Doc Rivers said. "That was really cool."
After the New Orleans game, the Lakers had to answer why they couldn't beat Boston last June, part of the obvious build-up to Thursday's meeting.
"I wish I had a dollar for every time somebody asked me that question," Bryant said. "It's always the same answer -- defense and rebounding."
The Lakers showed plenty of both against New Orleans, particularly in the first half.
"The season's a long season, so you're going to have peaks and valleys," Bryant said. "It's a roller-coaster ride. You've just got to stick with it.
"It's good that we got a little bit of a rhythm here and can get ready for the showdown on Thursday."
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mike.bresnahan@latimes.com
