So the supposedly mighty Lakers lose by 18 points to Minnesota on Friday and drop an overtime contest a night later to Chicago, owner of the NBA's worst record.

Don't be deceived. The Lakers are two-time defending champs for a reason. Without the suspended Shaquille O'Neal, they proceeded to slaughter the Grizzlies by 39 on Monday behind a career-best 56 points from Kobe Bryant.

Looks like the timing of the Heat's meeting with the Lakers tonight couldn't be worse. Just when it appeared the Lakers might be human, L.A. sets out to silence those who questioned its invincibility. Tipoff is 10:30 at Staples Center.

``People are going to say whatever they're going to say,'' Lakers guard Brian Shaw said. ``If we lose or even if we don't win the way people think we're supposed to win, we hear it. But it doesn't matter. Right now we're trying to learn from the mistakes and get better as the season progresses. Nobody wins championships in January.''

But the foundations of championship teams are built this time of year, and the Lakers are doing that despite factors that have made their path more treacherous than in the past two seasons.

O'Neal, who was suspended three games for throwing punches and will miss tonight's game, has been slowed by an injury to his right big toe. He has spent five games on the injured list and is still not pain-free.

In addition, the Lakers have had to merge many new complementary pieces with the core of last season's roster, and some players are still learning the Lakers' system.

``With Shaq out with injuries and now this suspension, and with us still getting guys acclimated, we've had a lot of adjusting to do,'' said guard Derek Fisher, who missed the season's first 12 games because of a foot injury.

Another issue often overlooked is that being the defending champion and a dynasty in the making makes you a target.

``When we go to other arenas, that's usually the game of the year there,'' Fisher said. ``Sometimes, it's the first sellout. We're still growing into understanding that an entire city, an entire team, the entire league wants to beat us.''

But the Lakers have handled their trying circumstances with ease. They held the league's best record entering Tuesday night, though Sacramento and Minnesota were a half game behind in the Western Conference.

But Monday's Shaq-less performance was a message to those pursuing this team: The Lakers aren't sweating.

``It was a statement that we can bounce back from adversity,'' Bryant said. ``We have a tough stretch coming up. . . . We're very comfortable. There's a lot of room for improvement, which is important to know, but we're comfortable with where we are right now.''

Bryant will be a central figure tonight as he lines up against Heat guard Eddie Jones, a close friend. Both are coming off good games, though Jones' 28 points against Golden State on Monday hardly compares to Bryant's phenomenal three quarters against Memphis.

``It was just one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences,'' Bryant said Tuesday. ``I'm not going to lie. I was excited.''

But the wins will not come so easy on most nights. The Lakers admit that it's not becoming champions that's most difficult, it's staying champions.

``I think the third time around is definitely more challenging,'' Fisher said. ``Just hearing [coach] Phil [Jackson] talk about it wasn't enough. Now we're understanding how difficult it is to do it three times in a row. Other teams have been working three years to get to this point, so everybody is getting one step closer to us. So it's not just us at the top of the mountain.''

But the chances are good the Lakers will again stand on the peak.