It has become a challenge to get Ron Artest to explain anything, whether he has played well or poorly.

But after the defensive job he did on Thunder forward Kevin Durant on Sunday, Artest was surrounded by reporters looking for answers.

Artest had limited Durant to 21 points on eight-for-20 shooting.

So what happened, Artest?

"A lot of screens early. I was getting hit," Artest said. "His team, they did a good job getting him open early. Then later, they weren't hitting me with those screens. I'm in pretty good shape, so I can get hit all day, run all day."

OK, that explains some of it.

But Durant leads the NBA in scoring, averaging 28.6 points per game.

Artest made sure Durant didn't get close to his average — again.

"I don't mind somebody scoring 50 on me," Artest said. "I mean, that's never happened."

Artest looked up and smiled.

"If a player busts me up on the court and kind of destroys me offensively, then, 'Great game.' It doesn't happen often, in my 12-year NBA career," Artest said. "I don't know what NBA player can say that."

Before they became teammates in 2009, Kobe Bryant and Artest had their share of battles.

Now they work together.

Most of the time it is Artest who defends the opponent's best wing player.

"He's been doing an incredible job defensively," Bryant said. "He knows exactly what we expect of him — which [is] to just make life difficult for the opposing player.

"It's tough because they are going to get looks and they are going to run things for them to free them up. But you just try to make it as tough as you possibly can. He's doing a fantastic job of it."

In two games against the Thunder this season, Artest has held Durant to 22.5 points on 36.3% shooting.

In Bryant's eyes, some of that is Durant missing shots and some of it is the tough defense Artest plays.

"It's always a combination of both," Bryant said. "Durant had some shots that he missed and he had other opportunities where Ron was on him and bodied him. It's always a combination of both."

Artest had 10 points on five-for-10 shooting.

He also had three turnovers.

"I thought Ron played well," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "He took ball inside and lost it a couple of times. Obviously, those are things we don't want to happen. But his defense was good and he shot the ball well."

Defense is where Artest made his money again.

He had two steals, the biggest coming when Artest stripped the ball from Durant with 49.9 seconds left in the game and the Lakers leading, 90-87.

"He is able to use his strength and get himself through picks and keep a body on a player like Kevin, who is an extremely good scorer," Jackson said. "When Ron can use that strength to keep his body on people, he can be very good."

broderick.turner@latimes.com

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Horace Grant is so enchanted by his adopted home on California's Central Coast that he might be mistaken for a Realtor or tourism-council spokesman.

"It's so serene," he says. "It's such a beautiful area."

At the moment, the former Lakers forward is seated in the living room of a rented hilltop home high above Pismo Beach.

Out the window on a clear winter day, views of the jagged coastline are magnificent, stretching from San Luis Obispo Bay to the northwest, the shimmering Pacific Ocean dead ahead and, to the south, the Pismo Dunes Natural Preserve and beyond.

Later, from the deck, the 45-year-old Grant points south toward Arroyo Grande, where his home is under renovation.

Grant, whose 17-season NBA career yielded four championship rings with the Lakers and Chicago Bulls, was introduced to the area by his wife, Andrea, who grew up in Santa Maria.

She and Grant met 10 years ago in Los Angeles, where Grant was helping Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers win the second of three consecutive NBA titles.

"When we first started dating, I knew that she was the one," Grant says of his wife, "so whenever we got time, we would drive up here from L.A. to visit her parents.

"And I said, 'Wow, I could get used to this.' I loved the small-town atmosphere, the relaxed feel, and I met a lot of good people around here. And so I put my foot in my mouth and said, 'I think I might retire here.' And she held me to it."

He laughs at the memory.

Actually, he notes, downshifting from the fast pace of the NBA wasn't easy — even for a native of tiny Sparta, Ga.

"It took me a year and a half to get used to the laid-back atmosphere," Grant says, relaying the tale of an evening when he walked out the backdoor and was stunned by the silence.

It was pitch black, and all he could hear were crickets.

He wasn't sure he could adjust to the sleepy lifestyle, but his wife told him to give it a few months. If he was still uncomfortable, she promised, they could talk about moving.

"I don't know what happened during that time," Grant says, "but I just completely fell in love with this place."

Says Andrea, "Now when we go to a big city, he says he can't imagine living there again and can't wait to get home."

Grant, in fact, is searching for a 15-acre parcel in the area on which to build an athletic training center, complete with dormitories. A dedicated weightlifter, he believes that conditioning played a major role in his long and successful career.

Of course, playing with great players didn't hurt.

Wearing his signature goggles, Grant spent his first seven seasons with the Bulls, who selected the 6-foot-10 former Clemson star with the 10th pick in the 1987 NBA draft.

Reporting from Oklahoma City — Physically and mentally, the four days of rest over the All-Star weekend seems to have benefited the Lakers.

It has been telling in how sound their defense has been and how alert they have been after looking so disjointed before the break when they lost three consecutive games.

A 90-87 victory Sunday over the Oklahoma City Thunder was another sign of how far the Lakers have come, how their defense has tighten up and how a four-game winning streak can change the direction of this team.

"I think the rest did the guys some good," said Kobe Bryant, who scored just 17 points but set another milestone. "It was kind of a chance to recover, regroup and focus on the opportunity that we have ahead of ourselves."

The Lakers, anchored on defense by center Andrew Bynum and forward Ron Artest, smothered the Thunder in the second half, limiting Oklahoma City to 31 points on 30% shooting.

Bynum blocked five shots.

Artest had the assignment of defending Kevin Durant, holding the All-Star forward to 21 points on eight-for-20 shooting.

The Lakers took five charges, another sign of how in tune they were on defense.

Even with that, the Lakers didn't escape until Durant and James Harden missed three-point shots in the game's final moments.

"We were fortunate to come away with that win," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "Two shots like they had at the end of the game were good looks. But we did the job in the second half defensively."

Perhaps the biggest defensive play was made by Pau Gasol.

The 7-foot Gasol took a charge against 6-3 guard Russell Westbrook with 17.3 seconds left and the Lakers protecting a three-point lead.

"It was a good charge," said Gasol, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds. "It was a big charge night."

So big that Jackson couldn't remember the last time the Lakers took so many.

"Never," Jackson said. "I can't remember our team doing this many. We talk to them about it and today they did it."

Artest again held Durant, the NBA's scoring leader, below his 28.6 points-per-game average.

Artest also came up big late in the game, knocking the ball away from Durant with 49.9 seconds left and the Lakers leading, 90-87.

"I've got to give 100% every night because I'm only getting older and he's only reaching his prime," Artest said.

Bryant didn't have a good offensive game, making just eight of 22 shots, but he passed Elvin Hayes for seventh on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 27,320 points.

His points against the Thunder didn't come easy, as Bryant didn't attempt a free throw.

"You just got to shoot through fouls," Bryant said.

When the Lakers faced the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs last year, it took six games to eliminate Oklahoma City.

The Thunder recently acquired centers Kendrick Perkins from the Boston Celtics and Nazr Mohammed from the Charlotte Bobcats, adding size and beef.

Perkins didn't play because of a strained left knee and Mohammed didn't play because of a coach's decision.

But the Lakers have taken notice of the additions.

"He's the best low-post defender we have in the game," Bryant said about Perkins. "It's a welcome addition for them, I'm sure."

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It was the ultimate compliment paid by his coach.

"Andrew [Bynum] was very good," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said about his young center.

Indeed, Bynum was a force for the Lakers during their 90-87 victory over the Thunder on Sunday.

It was more than his five blocked shots, which was telling. It was more than his 7-foot frame, which was a deterrent.

It was how active Bynum was.

He had 16 points, missing just two of his seven shots.

He had 10 rebounds, three offensive. He also had two assists, one steal and one foul in 31 minutes, 39 seconds.

"Today, mentally more than anything, I was in the right spots," Bynum said. "That's just what enabled me to have the kind of game that I did. Defensively, it's timing."

Late in the game, Jackson said he "reluctantly" replaced Bynum with Pau Gasol because he's more mobile.

"But Andrew was blocking and changing shots," Jackson said.

Bynum had right knee surgery over the summer and is still trying to get back to 100%, and he missed one game with a bone bruise in his left knee.

"His activity obviously is an issue," Jackson said. "A lot of it's due to how he feels physically. He's going to have knee issues as he goes along and he just has to monitor that. I think when he feels well, you see his activity level increase."

Barnes waits for go-ahead

If it were up to Matt Barnes, he would play right away.

But it's not up to Barnes to decide when he'll play again after having right knee surgery on Jan. 11.

His fate will rest in the hands of Jackson, who's not sure when his backup small forward will return to action.

"When he gets into a contact situation and we see him go through some contact, there'll be a decision that probably will be affirmative in that regard," Jackson said.

Jackson said he's not sure how effective Monday's practice in Minneapolis will be for Barnes, who is on this two-game trip with the Lakers.

When Barnes had surgery to repair a torn cartilage, the team announced that he would be out about eight weeks. Based on that schedule, Barnes would be able to play Tuesday when the Lakers face Minnesota.

"Progress has been very good," Barnes said. "Now it's really up to Phil. I've been practicing and rehabbing well. Just have to see when everybody wants me back. I feel good… When I'm back, I want to make sure I stay back and everybody on the staff is making sure that happens."

The Lakers return home Wednesday but may not practice. They will be back at practice Thursday.

The next game is Friday night against the Charlotte Bobcats at Staples Center.

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Time: 11:30 a.m. PST

On the air: TV: ABC; Radio: 710, 1330.

Where: Ford Center.

Records: Lakers 41-19, Thunder 36-21.

Record vs. Thunder: 1-0.

Update: The Lakers begin a brief trip by playing the team that gave them a first-round playoff scare last season. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol each had 21 points as the Lakers defeated the Thunder, 101-94, last month at Staples Center. Recently acquired center Kendrick Perkins will not play against the Lakers because of a sprained left knee. The Lakers conclude the trip Tuesday at Minnesota.

—Mike Bresnahan

It's hard for the Lakers to forget whom they're playing Sunday, the Oklahoma City Thunder giving them fits in a first-round playoff tussle last season that could have gone either way after four games.

But there's confusion because of one question: Who's on the Thunder these days?

Oklahoma City was one of many teams at the trade deadline making substantial changes to its roster, giving up youth and outside touch for brawn down low.

The Thunder acquired former Boston banger Kendrick Perkins and veteran Charlotte center Nazr Mohammed while trading three-point-shooting power forward Jeff Green and lightly regarded center Nenad Kristic.

In other words, Oklahoma City was tired of getting pushed around. The new roster will be somewhat on display Sunday against the Lakers, though Perkins is expected to sit out another week because of a sprained left knee.

"They're deeper in the paint and now they'll get more presence in the paint," Lakers forward Lamar Odom said. "I guess they feel like they'll need it because our presence is so strong."

The Thunder (36-21) didn't fare so well in its first game after Thursday's deadline, getting crushed by Orlando, 111-88. Neither Perkins nor Mohammed played. Neither did another acquisition from Boston, quick point guard Nate Robinson.

Still, the Lakers (41-19), who have a three-game winning streak, are curious to discover more about the Thunder.

"They're different," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "We'll see if they're better. They're going to be more of a bang 'em, sock 'em type of team."

Green, 24, averaged 15.2 points and made 56 three-pointers in 49 games with the Thunder this season.

Perkins averaged 7.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in only 12 games for Boston since returning from off-season knee surgery. Mohammed was Charlotte's backup center, but he burned the Lakers for 16 points in 24 minutes two weeks ago. Robinson has averaged 7.1 points in 17.9 minutes a game this season.

Play it again

Clippers rookie Blake Griffin has played against Kobe Bryant only three times in his brief career, but even he knows it's almost impossible to stop a 13-time All-Star on a roll.

Bryant had 18 points in the third quarter Friday night, making eight of 11 shots to drive the Lakers to a 108-95 victory over the Clippers.

"You just try to slow it down and try to get in his way," Griffin said. "And try to alter his shots. I thought we did a poor job of getting in his way a little bit and making it a little tougher. A lot of those shots he had were uncontested. But he hit them. You've got to give him credit."

Veteran guard Randy Foye has seen it plenty of times.

"That's what he does," Foye said. "He's been doing it forever."

Griffin had a quiet night, making seven of 18 shots, and the Lakers pounded the Clippers in the paint, 38-18. The Lakers led by as many as 26 before a meaningless Clippers rally.

The Lakers have reversed course after a three-game losing streak going into the All-Star break. What's been different?

"It's the difference of we're getting down to the last 20 games of the season," Pau Gasol said. "We want to position ourselves well in the playoff [seedings]."

The Lakers have the NBA's sixth-best record and are third in the West.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

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Times staff writer Lisa Dillman contributed to this report.

It's hard for the Lakers to forget whom they're playing Sunday, the Oklahoma City Thunder giving them fits in a first-round playoff tussle last season that could have gone either way after four games.

But there's confusion because of one question: Who's on the Thunder these days?

Oklahoma City was one of many teams at the trade deadline making substantial changes to its roster, giving up youth and outside touch for brawn down low.

The Thunder acquired former Boston banger Kendrick Perkins and veteran Charlotte center Nazr Mohammed while trading three-point-shooting power forward Jeff Green and lightly regarded center Nenad Kristic.

In other words, Oklahoma City was tired of getting pushed around. The new roster will be somewhat on display Sunday against the Lakers, though Perkins is expected to sit out another week because of a sprained left knee.

"They're deeper in the paint and now they'll get more presence in the paint," Lakers forward Lamar Odom said. "I guess they feel like they'll need it because our presence is so strong."

The Thunder (36-21) didn't fare so well in its first game after Thursday's deadline, getting crushed by Orlando, 111-88. Neither Perkins nor Mohammed played. Neither did another acquisition from Boston, quick point guard Nate Robinson.

Still, the Lakers (41-19), who have a three-game winning streak, are curious to discover more about the Thunder.

"They're different," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "We'll see if they're better. They're going to be more of a bang 'em, sock 'em type of team."

Green, 24, averaged 15.2 points and made 56 three-pointers in 49 games with the Thunder this season.

Perkins averaged 7.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in only 12 games for Boston since returning from off-season knee surgery. Mohammed was Charlotte's backup center, but he burned the Lakers for 16 points in 24 minutes two weeks ago. Robinson has averaged 7.1 points in 17.9 minutes a game this season.

Play it again

Clippers rookie Blake Griffin has played against Kobe Bryant only three times in his brief career, but even he knows it's almost impossible to stop a 13-time All-Star on a roll.

Bryant had 18 points in the third quarter Friday night, making eight of 11 shots to drive the Lakers to a 108-95 victory over the Clippers.

"You just try to slow it down and try to get in his way," Griffin said. "And try to alter his shots. I thought we did a poor job of getting in his way a little bit and making it a little tougher. A lot of those shots he had were uncontested. But he hit them. You've got to give him credit."

Veteran guard Randy Foye has seen it plenty of times.

"That's what he does," Foye said. "He's been doing it forever."

Griffin had a quiet night, making seven of 18 shots, and the Lakers pounded the Clippers in the paint, 38-18. The Lakers led by as many as 26 before a meaningless Clippers rally.

The Lakers have reversed course after a three-game losing streak going into the All-Star break. What's been different?

"It's the difference of we're getting down to the last 20 games of the season," Pau Gasol said. "We want to position ourselves well in the playoff [seedings]."

The Lakers have the NBA's sixth-best record and are third in the West.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

twitter.com/Mike_Bresnahan

Times staff writer Lisa Dillman contributed to this report.

So, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson, how do you feel about rookies such as Devin Ebanks?

"They are lower than whale [mess]," Jackson said, smiling. "Sometimes they don't quite know how to play this [NBA] game. They know how to play the game, but not this game and how to use the clock in the right way."

Jackson played Ebanks six minutes 37 seconds against the Clippers in the Lakers' 108-95 victory Friday night at Staples Center, and his 6-foot-9 rookie small forward responded with four points.

A few seconds after offering his initial assessment, Jackson conceded that "we like" Ebanks.

Ebanks has heard it all before from Jackson.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, he shared that with us," Ebank said, smiling. "But I think he definitely does like me and DC [Derrick Caracter]. He sees that we're growing. He knows that it's a process."

Ebanks was two for five from the field, getting both of his baskets off lobs.

Jackson was asked if he liked the way Ebanks played.

"No, I told him he shot the ball too much," Jackson said, half smiling.

Ebanks has played in 20 games this season and is averaging 3.1 points.

"It's coming along," he said. "I'm just staying ready and learning. I've got great players ahead of me, so I just keep watching and learning so I can grow."

Ebanks barely scored on his second lob from Steve Blake.

Ebanks said he thought Blake was going to throw the ball off the backboard, so he slowed down.

"Then I saw that he threw it up in the air so I had to catch up to it," Ebanks said. "It was good that I caught it and it went in."

Ebanks plays behind Ron Artest, Luke Walton and even Kobe Bryant at times.

He deals with his lack of playing time.

"I definitely understand, but naturally as a player I want to be out there," Ebanks said. "But I just want to be ready when I get my chance. I just try to stay within the offense."

broderick.turner@latimes.com

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Two things a Lakers fan never wants to see: a loss to the Clippers and Kobe Bryant heading to the locker room in the second quarter.

So it was an uncomfortable first half Friday for Lakers followers as the designated home team struggled against its down-the-hall neighbor and Bryant walked off the court for further examination of a right elbow injury.

Then came good news for the pro-Lakers crowd at Staples Center, followed by better news: Bryant sustained only an ulnar-nerve contusion (layman's terms: he was hit on the funny bone) and the Lakers cruised against the undermanned Clippers, 108-95.

Bryant scored 24 points, 18 in the third quarter, as the Lakers improved their post-All-Star record to 3-0.

He looked pretty injured after halftime, making only eight of 11 shots and outscoring the Clippers by a point. Poor guy.

"Kobe kind of faked them out with that dead-arm thing and then scored a lot of points," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said wryly.

Bryant banged his funny bone while trying to block Randy Foye's three-point attempt with 3:03 left in the second quarter. He went to the bench, was examined briefly by trainer Gary Vitti, and headed to the locker room after burying his face in a towel for a minute.

Unfortunately for the Clippers, he returned.

Despite his third-quarter accuracy, Bryant was careful to protect his right arm. He accepted teammates' congratulations with his left hand during timeouts and gave Pau Gasol only a one-armed hug after the Lakers' forward found Bryant for a layup.

"It's sore, very sore," Bryant said. "When I hit it, my whole arm just went numb. I had a hard time bending it."

His first shot in the third quarter was an off-target left-handed hook shot. But then he drilled a pair of three-pointers, both right-handed.

He was fine. He was back.

"I've been playing basketball since I was 2. I can shoot the ball different ways," he said. "I don't have to shoot it like I normally shoot it. If I bent that elbow a little too much, then that's when I feel it, so I just had to just shorten it up a little bit."

There were other players in Friday's game, though most were afterthoughts in the glare of Bryant's headline-grabbing effort.

Andrew Bynum had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Gasol had 22 points on eight-for-nine shooting.

The story, though, was obviously Bryant.

"He does that a lot," said Clippers rookie Blake Griffin, who had 22 points and 10 rebounds. "That's why he's one of the best."

The Clippers received a solid effort from Foye (24 points), though they were short-handed because Baron Davis hadn't taken his physical yet in Cleveland, meaning new Clippers additions Mo Williams and Jamario Moon weren't allowed to play.

It was unclear if they would play Saturday against Boston.

"They won't be able to take part in the shoot-around [Saturday]," Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said. "It'll be tough to just throw them out there."

Clippers guard Eric Gordon sat out his 16th game because of an injured right wrist, though he said he might return next week.

Despite the absentees, the Clippers led at the end of the first quarter, 31-30, as Foye scored 14 points.

Then as the final seconds wound down in the second quarter, Clippers center DeAndre Jordan drove untouched from midcourt, blew past Gasol and scored on a finger roll before the halftime buzzer to bring the Clippers within 52-50.

The third quarter, however, belonged to Bryant, allowing the fourth quarter to belong to Devin Ebanks. The rookie scored on two alley-oop passes from Steve Blake, delighting a crowd that had been so quietly nervous an hour earlier.

You could almost hear an entire fan base, if not the franchise itself, exhale.

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