OKLAHOMA CITY — Four games into the Lakers’ championship defense, and there’s a whole lot goin’ on.

Let’s see which of these three topics from Tuesday night piques your interest the most.
1. Ron Artest rediscovered he has some offensive powers in the Lakers’ overtime victory over Oklahoma City, but his integration into the Lakers’ system remains very much a work in progress.
2. Pau Gasol’s strained right hamstring continues to be the medical world’s latest mystery. Gasol’s MRI results aren’t being announced by the Lakers because the images have been sent to Gasol’s personal physicians in Spain (including Gasol’s parents, both doctors, whom Gasol requested be included) to be scrutinized further.
3. Sasha Vujacic is dating tennis superstar Maria Sharapova. Sorry, Khloe Kardashian. I’m sure people will still watch your wedding special on E! on Sunday night, but make room for Sasha and his new celebrity gal pal (whose nickname — isn’t it cute is “Masha”).
Only two of the three topics directly involve the Lakers’ championship defense, so we’ll focus on those here.
However, let’s just say — even though Vujacic skirted direct questions about Sharapova — his big smile and other sources confirmed the Manhattan Beach neighbors have been seeing each other. And Vujacic said, “I know,” twice to statements that Sharapova is very nice and very smart, and he also noted with a grin: “I like tennis. It’s a good sport.”
Anyhow, getting back to Artest: He had 20 efficient points (6-of-8 shooting from the field, 6-of-8 from the foul line) and six assists. Phil Jackson might’ve come up with something to help a faltering bench unit by playing Artest and Andrew Bynum with reserves Vujacic, Shannon Brown and Josh Powell to start the fourth quarter. The faltering bench unit didn’t even include Jordan Farmar in the second half, and Jackson wasn’t unwilling to single him out in postgame comments, saying: “Nothing was happening good while he was out there.”
Jackson believes the lack of Gasol as a focal point has been troubling for the reserves. Bynum can certainly serve that role somewhat, but Artest said definitively after the game he embraces that opportunity.
“That’s my whole career, except my first year when Elton (Brand) was in Chicago,” Artest said. “Every year after that, I was playin’. Balls were going right to my hands. Even last year when we (the
Rockets) played against the Lakers, it started with me, so it’s not like it’s something brand new.
“But when Kobe (Bryant)’s out there, he wants it. That’s the great thing; he wants it. So I don’t really have to go get it unless he really can’t get the ball. If he can’t get it, then I can help make something happen. And it’ll be even better when Pau’s out there. But when they’re not out there, I’m totally comfortable and it’s fun being in that situation.”
Artest scored eight consecutive Lakers points in that stretch — the final two after Bryant, Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher had re-entered the game. From that point on, Artest focused more on his job of shutting down Thunder star Kevin Durant, who had scored 20 first-half points.
Similar to the way Artest shut down Atlanta’s Joe Johnson in the second half of the Lakers’ victory Sunday night, Durant shot 4 for 14 from the field for eight points with six turnovers after halftime.
There’s something to the idea that Artest’s rock body of 268 pounds eventually wears down an opposing scorer.
And as Artest said, everything will be a lot easier when Gasol returns — whenever that might be.
Gasol was on the court for some light work Tuesday, but that’s not necessarily a reflection of how much or how little his hamstring has healed.
Artest’s integration into the triangle offense will be much smoother with Gasol more often in the post and making those proper reads and passes on a ridiculously consistent basis. Yet even as much as everyone is advising Artest, he’s still making a lot of mistakes that disrupt the team flow right now.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Bynum was gesturing for Artest to move to the middle, but Artest instead went to the corner — and jacked up a missed 3-pointer. Bynum went to talk to Artest about it at the next clock stoppage.
On the next possession, Artest and Powell actually collided as they tried to execute the weakside pinch-post action in the triangle. It didn’t matter, because Artest still nailed the fading 20-footer all on his own.
And on the next possession, Artest broke off the play and ran to Brown to get the ball, even though 14 seconds remained on the shot clock. Artest drilled a 3-pointer for a 77-77 tie. He’s that good that he can play and score without much structure, although what the Lakers are trying to teach him — that he hasn’t been taught before — is how to score using the structure.