The Los Angeles Lakers won their 13th game on Friday night in 14 tries, beating the Dallas Mavericks 114-107 at STAPLES Center.

While LA has been one of the top defensive teams in the early weeks of the young 2008/9 NBA Season, the Mavericks gave them a difficult time.  Behind by 11 with just a few minutes left in the third, the Lakers would go on 13-0 run (17-0 extending into the fourth) to close out the third period to turn an 11-point deficit to a two-point lead. 

Once the Lakers took control, the Mavericks found themselves back on their heels - giving up 34 points to LA in the final period to drop to 7-8 on the season.

For much of the night it looked like the Lakers were going to get beaten at home - in similar fashion to the game on November 14th against the Detroit Pistons when LA's defense collapsed (106-95) behind an opponent's extremely hot shooting.

In their six straight wins to open the season before losing to Detroit, the Lakers gave up just 88.5 points a night.  They've since won another six straight, but LA is yielding 99.8 a game in victory.

So are the Lakers finding it harder and harder each night to claim victory?

"Yeah, there's a certain sense that you don't have to work that hard every night when you come out - and you really have to in this game," said Coach Phil Jackson after the win over Dallas.  "So many teams can surprise teams.  If you're just not ready, you're 10 down - you're on your heels right away.  We have to be much more alert coming into ballgames."

Center Andrew Bynum has noticed the Lakers starting slowly.

"I think the energy is a challenge - coming out with the right amount of energy," said Bynum.  "We've been having sluggish, slow starts but whenever we come out with our fire, that energy - we completely turn the game around."

Perhaps winning has bred an over-confidence.  The Lakers expecting to win doesn't mean it's going to happen on its own.

Forward Lamar Odom recognizes that the more success the Lakers have, the more teams will be coming after them.

"That's what we expect.  We don't expect to win every game by 20 or 15," said Odom.  "Teams are going to gun for us, especially Western Conference teams.  I think we're ready for it though."

Jackson credits the Mavericks with a strong game plan to exploit the cracks in LA's defense.

"I think they played a really well-thought out game.  They attacked us in the territory where we had some problems in the first half - on high screen rolls.  We couldn't stop penetration.  They got easy shots and good looks," said Jackson.  "They shot a high percentage and we just had to bring the intensity up defensively."

Forward Trevor Ariza thinks that opponents are more and more prepared when they face the Lakers.

"Definitely, teams are getting better every game," said Ariza.  "Teams are scouting us more.  They're starting to find ways to score on us and do different things - and we have to adjust the same way.

Bynum also notes that the Lakers have had a pretty irregular schedule so far this season, with too many days off.

"We haven't really been playing games like most other teams in the league," said Bynum.  "Most of the team you get a game, day off, game, day off - maybe a back-to-back with two days off.  We've been having three days off . . . you just get a little bit rust."

Star guard Kobe Bryant anticipates the challenges to come.  The Mavericks made the Lakers work to get the win - but he doesn't see that as such a bad thing.

"I think the last four or five games whatever it was were won by 10+ points, 14+ points - something like that," said Bryant.  "It felt good to have a game where you kind of had to battle out a little bit.  It kind of keeps you sharp."

Bryant jawed at the Mavericks' bench after sealing the game in the closing minute - finishing with 35 points.  Would he prefer to give his opponent the business at the end of games like he did on Friday night - or sit for the final period in a blowout?

"I'd rather be icing my knees because there's no greater taunt than beating them by 40," said Bryant with a smile.

The Lakers are the highest scoring team in the league but their ambition is to win a championship off of their defense.  Over the past seven games the numbers suggest the team isn't performing as well defensively as they did earlier in the season.

Whether teams are adjusting to the Lakers defensive strategy, coming out harder because LA is the top team, or the Lakers are just slipping . . . it's something Phil Jackson and his players need to shore up if they want to reach their ultimate goal.

While 13-1 may be impressive - the Celtics are right there in the East at 16-2.