Ron Artest was mad at Phil Jackson, who was upset with Kobe
Bryant, who was cranky that his knee was keeping him from
practicing with his teammates, who weren't sure what the heck
was going on.  The Lakers were reeling and the drama was
building.  That was then, this is now.  Memories of their three-
game losing streak in December were ancient history by the time
the Lakers hit the midway point of their three-peat chase with a
30-11 record. Team chemistry no longer was an issue as the
Lakers rose to second place in the West.  Should they be better?
Certainly.  Will they improve in the second half? Probably.  Can
they catch the conference-leading San Antonio Spurs? Don't count
on it.  The Lakers' second-half schedule is far more difficult
than the start of the season, when they played 20 of their first
28 games against teams that failed to make the playoffs last
season. They have a good deal to prove in the coming days, weeks
and months.  Here's a closer look:   Lamar Odom credited his
marriage to Khloe Kardash