LOS ANGELES — "They've lost that spark."

The record denied it. The talent refuted it. The crowd tried to ignore it.

Then the Los Angeles Lakers took the floor and lived it.

Phil Jackson's pre-game quote became a breathing, backpedaling reality Tuesday night, a collection of anonymous New York Knicks running his team from Spike Lee to Chris Rock and all celebrities in between.

Sitting under the basket, $22 million loser Stephon Marbury was more aggressive with his Blackberry.

Sitting courtside, there was more defense played by Vanessa Hudgens on Zach Efron.

Wearing gold, the Lakers were red-faced and heavy-lidded and extremely fortunate to escape with a 116-114 victory over a gimmick team that shouldn't have had a squirting flower of a chance.

"Speedball," Jackson described the Knicks' style before the game.

Nearly turned out to be Murder Ball.

The Lakers trailed most of the game, sometimes by as many as 15, and eventually won only because their guests finally lost their legs.

They won with everyone wondering again, where are their heads?

Even with Pau Gasol out with a strep throat, the Lakers shouldn't have needed a Trevor Ariza ally-oop layup with 1:03 left to take the lead for good.

The only time they dominated was in the final moments, when the scoreboard showed alternating shots of a growling Jack Nicholson and a preening Spike Lee, loud cheers followed by huge boos.

If only the Lakers had more of Nicholson's grumpiness or Lee's brashness.

If only they were the team that began the season with the NBA's best defense, not allowing 100 points until the eighth game, bragging about how they were the new Boston.

Well, um, Boston held these Knicks to 101 points. Detroit held them to 96. Cleveland held them to 82.

Jackson was right. The Lakers have lost that spark. What happened? After hearing his quote, I looked for reason.

I found Kobe. I found Fish. I found the schedule. I found the kids.

I also found a guy who thinks this is all poppycock.

"You have to lighten up a little bit," said Knicks Coach Mike D'Antoni. "They're pretty good."

Pretty good, but not Boston or Cleveland good.

Why not?

Here's what I found:

—Kobe Bryant hasn't pushed them yet.

This is a team whose pulse can be directly measured by Bryant's heart rate, and so far, by all reports, Bryant has rarely raised his voice.

Before the game, when asked if he has been purposely more laid back, he said, `'I have been, yes."

Across the locker room, Lamar Odom howled in disagreement.

`'They must not have been in our practices," he said of the reporters.

Bryant just smiled.

`'It's all timing, it's a long season," he said. `'No, I haven't knocked over any coolers yet."

This is the same Bryant who ended last season scolding his teammates on national television against the Celtics. Maybe, with those Celtics coming to town Christmas Day, a repeat performance would be a fitting present.

—Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar's defense hasn't pushed them yet.

The smallest guys have done the biggest things against the Lakers. Opposing point guards have simply steamrolled them.

Old guys like Bobby Jackson scoring 15 points in 18 minutes. Young guys like Derrick Rose scoring 25 points with nine assists.

Allen Iverson scoring 25 with 11 free throws. T.J. Ford scoring 21 with eight assists.

And, on Tuesday, how on earth does Nate Robinson score 33?

"I haven't felt any of this personally, but as a team, we just haven't been sharp," Fisher said. "There's been a certain heaviness to the way we've played."

That has continued even when the Lakers have inserted the flitting Farmar, who has spent much of this season chasing.

`'A lot of this is because we're still learning to play with each other," said Farmer. `'There's been a lot of changes, and we haven't quite come together all the time."

Which leads to the next theory ...

—The schedule hasn't pushed them yet.

Teams get lazy at home and tough on the road. Yeah, the Lakers have played 15 games at home and only eight outside Staples Center.

"Going on the road is always more motivation," Bryant said. `'The players hang around each other, it's one of the things that helps community."

Nothing brings a team together more than a back-to-back road series, and the Lakers have played just two of them.

"It's will, it's energy," said Odom of his team's missing piece. `'We need that linebacker mentality."

Later this winter, with 12 of 16 games on the road at one point, they'll have plenty of chances to put on those pads.

—The kids haven't pushed them yet.

They need more domination from tiring Andrew Bynum. They need more resilience from struggling Sasha Vujacic.

Both players are shooting far worse than last season, and both have a tendency to let that chill seep into other parts of their game.

Like their team, they both need to grow, and fast, no matter what the record says.

The Lakers are a sultry, splendid 21-3.

Now if they'd only act like it.