"The Lakers' most consistent presence through two playoff games has come from an unlikely source, none other than Ron Artest.

He's averaged 15.5 points on 45.5% shooting and 8.5 rebounds in 34.5 minutes per contest, a stark improvement from the numbers he posted in the regular season with a career-low 8.5 points on only 39.7% shooting in 29.4 minutes per game. Artest attributed the turnaround to decreasing his workload in off-court conditioning and shooting exercises since the All-Star break, though he didn't reveal specifics.

"I used to be in the gym a lot," said Artest, who averaged 15.5 points on 45.5% shooting in 34.6 minutes per game following the All-Star break. "I can't do it now. You can't be here shooting and wasting your legs.""