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For this widely-held assumption that they wanted to face the ailing San Antonio Spurs, that they saw this oldie-but-goodie team as vulnerable and thus fought even harder to outlast the Houston Rockets in that overtime game on Wednesday that secured this matchup and got them out of facing top-seed Oklahoma City? That's where the boasting came to an end. "No, no no no no no," World Peace blubbered, his head shaking and eyebrows raised. "Not when you've got (Spurs coach Gregg) Popovich – uh uh uh uh uh. He's amazing. That coach is something else. I just know he draws up plays where he could have five old ladies after they eat 14 boxes of chocolate chip cookies. He'll put them on the court, and they'll win. That's how good Popovich is." USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, Metta World Peace 

Metta World Peace finally admitted he was off on his 70-win prediction with 81 of 82 games in the book ... "I didn't think we'd be in this situation," World Peace said after the Lakers' final practice of the regular season Tuesday. "I was wrong. I thought we was going to have a really great record. I was wrong. "I was wrong. I thought it was going to be amazing ... It still is amazing, actually." Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Metta World Peace 

The Lakers are allowed to cut one of four players on their roster without paying luxury taxes on his salary. Bryant will make $30.5 million next season. The other eligible players are Pau Gasol ($19.3 million next season), Metta World Peace ($7.7 million) and Steve Blake ($4 million). Players can be amnestied only if they were on the roster dating back to July 2011. If the Lakers waived Bryant, they would save up to $80 million in luxury taxes but would still have to pay his salary. It's unlikely they would amnesty him because of the relatively short timetable for his return. If they did, teams under the salary cap this summer would submit undisclosed bids to the NBA office to claim Bryant. He would then belong to the team that bid the highest. The Lakers could then re-sign Bryant in July 2014, after his current contract expired. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Steve Blake, Salary Cap, Metta World Peace, Amnesty 

Metta World Peace: @kobebryant ,this is a small bump in the road. Thanks for passing us your spirit. I bet you recover in no time! Love from the Artest family Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Injuries, Metta World Peace 

Phil Jackson: @paugasol @MettaWorldPeace you have to know Ronnie to understand his dedication to play. He’s a great teammate. Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Injuries, Metta World Peace 

Kobe Bryant has a nickname for Metta World Peace that was more than fitting on Monday afternoon, when the Lakers small forward made the stunning announcement that he would play in Tuesday night's game against New Orleans just 12 days after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. "I call him Logan now - he's Wolverine," Bryant said of the popular X-Men character. Metta World Beast is more like it. "I'm not very surprised," Bryant also said. "He takes care of himself. He eats all the right stuff. Still, it's extremely impressive." USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Injuries, Metta World Peace 

If it were up to World Peace, who was expected to miss at least six weeks, he said he would have played three games ago when the Lakers defeated Dallas on April 2. This wasn't a case of World Peace going rogue with his own recovery plan, either, as Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni put the odds of World Peace playing against the Hornets at "90, 80 (percent)." After going through an extensive pregame shooting routine before the Lakers' game against the Clippers on Sunday, World Peace took part in all of Monday's practice and put in extra work afterward. "Tomorrow morning he'll go through some more tests, and if he passes he'll play," D'Antoni said. USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Injuries, Metta World Peace 

Metta World Peace: My teammates were surprised to see me working hard and running. 14 yrs and no wear and tear always helps. Guess what!! Twitter @MettaWorldPeace

Los Angeles Lakers, Injuries, Metta World Peace 

Arash Markazi: D'Antoni said the timetable for Metta World Peace is now 4-6 weeks after he shot today. It had been at least 6 weeks. Twitter @ArashMarkazi

Los Angeles Lakers, Injuries, Metta World Peace 

Metta World Peace: I feel bad for the Rutgers situation. I think the passion got the best of coach. Good luck in moving forward and good luck to the players. Twitter @MettaWorldPeace

Los Angeles Lakers, Metta World Peace 

Metta World Peace: My doctor said he was surprised how good me knee looks. He said for 14yrs of playing my knees are in great shape. The rehab is going great. Twitter @MettaWorldPeace

Los Angeles Lakers, Injuries, Metta World Peace 

New York-based basketball player representation firm Pinnacle Management Corp. has signed Los Angeles Lakers forwardMetta World Peace for representation. He will be co-represented by Pinnacle President Marc Cornstein and Doug Davis, who is World Peace’s personal attorney as well as an NBPA-certified agent. World Peace, who went by Ron Artest before changing his name in 2011, was represented byDavid Bauman of Lagardère Unlimited. It was unclear what caused him to switch representation. “We are excited to be representing Metta,” Cornstein said. “He is a great name, and he is having a great season.” World Peace was averaging more than 12 points and five rebounds per game this year in a season that otherwise has been largely disappointing for the Lakers. He suffered a knee injury last Monday, though, and his timetable for return was not immediately known. Sports Business Daily

Los Angeles Lakers, Agents, Marc Cornstein, Metta World Peace 

After this season, World Peace has a one-year player’s option that will pay him $7.7 million. Cornstein said they would explore opportunities before deciding whether to remain with the Lakers. Sports Business Daily

Los Angeles Lakers, Agents, Marc Cornstein, Metta World Peace 

Stern admits to checking Twitter twice a day, and though he doesn’t have an account of his own, he says Metta World Peace is a frequent source of entertainment. “I’m not sure [Twitter] is quite my thing, but it’s my business’s thing, and it’s my business’s cultural thing, so we sweep it and we know exactly what the conversation is.” BusinessWeek.com

David Stern, Metta World Peace 

Lakers forward Metta World Peace, who injured his left knee in Monday night’s game against the Warriors in Oakland, underwent successful surgery today for a torn lateral meniscus. The surgery was performed by team doctors Steve Lombardo and Dan Kharrazi of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Group in Los Angeles. NBA.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Injuries, Metta World Peace 

Mike Trudell: As we always hear about athletic injuries, @Metta World Peace underwent "successful" surgery today, per LAL PR. Timeline is minimum 6 weeks. Twitter @LakersReporter

Los Angeles Lakers, Injuries, Metta World Peace 

Los Angeles Lakers small forward Metta World Peace will have left knee surgery that will keep him out at least six weeks, the team announced Wednesday. That's the way the official release from the team read, and no one can blame the Lakers for not using the phrase "season-ending," since NBA teams technically still will be playing by the time their most under-appreciated starter is ready to come back. But with the way things have been going of late, and for the better part of five months, really, the Lakers — who have lost their last three games and are just one game ahead of Utah and Dallas for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference — should be a month into their offseason vacation time by then. USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Injuries, Metta World Peace 

Dwight has grown close with Metta this season. Here was his message to MWP said directly into the TV camera ... "Metta, you know you’re my favorite guy in the world," Howard said. "Wish you was here with us. We’re going to stay strong. We love you, man." Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Injuries, Metta World Peace 

World Peace, who has averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.70 steals in 70 games (64 starts) this season, is expected to be out a minimum of six weeks. NBA.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Injuries, Metta World Peace 

"Sorry bout the injury," World Peace tweeted on Tuesday after hurting his knee late in the first half of L.A.'s 109-103 loss to Golden State on Monday. "First ever knee injury. Recovery time hopefully is a week and a half." He deleted the tweet later. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Injuries, Metta World Peace