I’m not going to write one of these after every Warriors game unless someone starts paying me to do it, and that’s never going to happen.

But have to write one tonight, I guess.

* That was the best Warriors’ performance since their Portland/Dallas double-dip last month, deserving of all praise that has been withheld by mean people in recent days.

On the road. With the Warriors (and Lakers) on the end of back-to-back. Vs. the Lakers. Very impressive by the Warriors.

They pushed the Lakers, made them work, made Phil Jackson switch up his rotation a bit, and ran Andrew Bynum right out of the game.

They scrambled a lot of things the Lakers like to do, and it took a Kobe Bryant hero 44-point night and some excellent play by Pau Gasol and (in the late-going) Lamar Odom to bring the Lakers back from the brink.

Plus, this was a Laker team that was ornery, having lost two of its last three and in front of an irritated Staples Center crowd.

Let’s see if the Warriors build on this. They didn’t build on the Portland-Dallas thing, because that was mainly built on wacky small-ball confusing those two confuse-able teams.

The Warriors go to Portland next, now with their centers in tow. Let’s see if the momentum carries. It should.

* Both teams tonight were on the end of back-to-backs, so that was a solid wash. No factor in the analysis.

* The Warriors attacked the Lakers precisely where they’re weakest–if your guards can drive the ball, and set up pick-and-rolls with their big men on defense, there are always lanes to the hoop.

The Lakers guards are not good defensively. Small, explosive guards can kill them.

Now, overall, the Lakers are a good defensive team–so when little guards attack, they always rotate to protect the rim, and usually with bigs.

But that leaves open spots, and the Warriors found those open spots (31 Warriors assists for 46 made baskets, a great total and an incredible percentage).

* Corey Maggette has been praised mightily recently, but not much by me. He was excellent tonight, in long minutes, charging to the hoop in the open court like a madman.

25 points on only 11 shots. McHale-like numbers.

Maggette did lose Kobe a few times on defense (back to back wide-open 3s) in his short stint on the Mamba, but that happens. He’s not a stopper. Don’t pretend that he is.

* Why did Anthony Randolph only play 19 minutes–the fewest among the 9 men who played–despite looking very, very springy and at times like he was intimidating the Lakers inside?

Well, it couldn’t have been Randolph’s plus/minus, which was a team-best +5 and before looking at the boxscore I would’ve guessed it was even higher.

It couldn’t have been his defense: 5 blocked shots, most at point-blank range, often of Gasol or Odom (a combined 6 of their shots were swatted by the Warriors).

I don’t know if it really could be his rebounding: He got only 6, many in the later stints, but it wasn’t like Ronny Turiaf (3 in 23 minutes), Vladimir Radmanovic (5 in 26 minutes) or Maggette (4 in 31 minutes) were doing so well on the boards that Nelson had to keep Randolph out.

Here’s why Randolph only played 19 minutes–Nelson might start him at the power forward alongside Biedrins or Turiaf, but Nelson does not like playing that combination for long.

The whole point of Nelson’s offense is to put at least four three-point shooters on the floor at once, to move the ball around, and hit the defense from all angles, especially from deep.

Randolph, at this point, does not fit that, for as long as Nelson has centers who are sturdier inside on defense.

Turiaf is VERY sturdy. Biedrins is OK-sturdy. Randolph is a swatter, not an on-the-block position-holder.

Of course, Randolph makes the defense very athletic and fast, and when he’s teamed with Turiaf or Biedrins, the Warriors are almost a good defensive team. You’d think that’d be a good thing.

But NELSON DOES NOT MAKE PLAYING-TIME DECISIONS BASED ON DEFENSE. ALWAYS OFFENSE.

If Nelson’s playing Turiaf and Biedrins, Randolph is not going to get heavy minutes, unless he’s playing out of his mind right off the bat or if it’s as the third-string center teamed with Maggette or Radmanovic at the 4.

Doesn’t matter if he’s blocking shots or chasing down shooters on the perimeter.

Randolph will get the minutes-pinch, almost every time. Get used to it.

* Yes, Turiaf’s return helps the Warriors. I’ve never disagreed with that. He was a wall in there tonight, and that running block of Bryant’s dunk was the highlight of the year.

A defensive highlight. For the Warriors.

That is different. Worth saluting.

Maggette (-11) and Turiaf (-15) got caught on the floor at bad times, which explains the bad plus/minus. See, I’m not totally addicted to that stat.

* I’ve got to point out that Ellis was excellent. His stats weren’t excellent, but the entire Lakers defense was pointed at him–with those 7-footers waiting for every drive–and Ellis was quite efficient.

22 points on 10-for-23 shooting, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, only 1 turnover, lots of time guarding Kobe, on a back-to-back after playing 48 minutes the night before…