10 greatest Lakers teams that didn’t win the NBA championship: No. 9

After starting the 2010-11 campaign 8-0, the Lakers started to suffer from a strange malady that had them winning several games in a row, only to subsequently drop two, three or even four contests in a row. They had dealt with the problem of complacency in past seasons in which they were the defending champs. They had usually gotten through those years in one piece. This time around, something truly seemed off.

After the All-Star break, it seemed the Lakers were figuring things out. L.A. won 17 of its next 18 games, and although it wasn’t playing very well offensively, it was shutting teams down on the other end and winning rather easily. As usual, it looked like it was rounding into shape for the playoffs.

Then — the wheels fell off.

The Lakers went on a mysterious five-game losing streak near the end of the regular season and need heroics from Bryant in their final game of the schedule to finish second in the Western Conference. They struggled to get past the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round, and faced the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals.

Many figured the Lakers would handle Dallas without too much difficulty. After all, the Mavs were a bridesmaid franchise. But in reality, the Lakers were losing steam. Bryant was playing hurt, and Pau Gasol was seriously underperforming.

The team ended up being swept by the Mavs in a sad series that was punctuated by a dispirited 122-86 defeat in Game 4.

It turned out to be the last real gasp for the Lakers during the Bryant era.