It's a word that tends to buzz around the Lakers like an annoying sand fly, landing on them from time to time, as if "toughness" is the cure-all for every team ill.

Lose to Boston in the NBA Finals? They couldn't handle the Celtics' physical big men.

Lose big leads against Utah in the postseason? They went soft.

Watch Yao Ming have his way in the Western Conference semifinals? They just weren't rough enough on him.

It's criticism that appears to fit, mainly because the Lakers have a greater number of skilled, finesse players than most NBA teams. But it's a red herring. The Lakers play away from contact, not into it, because it doesn't serve them.

Wednesday night, in a game that got over-the-top physical and nasty, the Lakers evened their postseason series against Houston, not because they were as tough and as sharp-elbowed as the Rockets - and they were - but because they were better at Basketball.

The idea that the Lakers need to match opponents' physical toughness may even be counterproductive. The toughest thing they did all night was veteran guard Derek Fisher's flagrant foul on Luis Scola in the third quarter, a foolish, out-of-character move.

During a particularly testy stretch, Fisher launched himself into Scola as the Rocket set a pick, decking him like a hockey player. It would have been two minutes on the ice for charging, but on the hardwood floor, it earned Fisher a trip to the locker room, with possible repercussions for Game 3.

But asked afterward if this was the Lakers' way of "sending a message" about a new level of "toughness," Fisher was back to his usual, measured, smarter self.

"No," he said. "We have to be who we are. We have guys who have a certain style of play, a skill set. We score the Basketball, and move. It's not about playing physical."

Still, their supposed lack of toughness is a criticism that sticks because it gets repeated. It also wears thin on the Lakers , who get tired of hearing it.

Earlier this week, Fisher said with a touch of disgust, "We don't have to answer questions about our toughness until we lose. It doesn't seem to be a big deal when we win 65 games, but the 17 times we lose, we have an issue."

The Lakers proved the point early Wednesday, replacing young center Andrew Bynum, who supposedly makes them more physically tough, with the sleeker, more skilled Lamar Odom.

The Lakers played their best in the first quarter. Their 39-25 lead that had absolutely nothing to do with toughness and everything to do with ball movement and shot-making (16 of 22).

Better the Lakers be mentally tough, willing to work hard on both ends of the floor, maintaining offensive flow and utilizing their advantages - speed, height and ball skills.

The taunts and hard fouls that showed up Wednesday may indeed make this into one of those "toughness" tests, again, and even Coach Phil Jackson admitted that it will "set a tone for what's going to happen in the series."

"It's just part of how they play," he said, pointing a finger at Houston. "We have to meet that."

If that's a call to toughen up, he may he want to rethink. It's not the Lakers' game.

The Lakers are in trouble in this series simply because Houston has been adept at taking them out of their offensive game.

Toughness? Way overrated.

Reach Gregg Patton at 951-368-9597 or gpatton@PE.com