With only one game to play this week, the Lakers had to find other ways to motivate themselves in practice. Simply maintaining the status quo was not an option, according to superstar guard Kobe Bryant.

“I think we’ve done a good job of coming here and doing what we have to do and accomplish what we have to accomplish,” he said after Friday’s workout. “That’s our message for the week: We can be good or we can be great.”

This could have been a challenging week for the Lakers, with a day off Sunday followed by two days of practice, followed by an 18-point win over the Clippers, followed by a day off, followed by two days of practice to get ready for Sunday’s game against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center.

“This is a time we can use to get better, to make another step forward,” Bryant said. “It’s tough to learn too much about yourself at this time of the year. The important thing is to rack up wins and try to get better.”

So far, so good for the undefeated Lakers, who are 4-0 for the first time since starting the 2003-04 season with a 5-0 record.

The Lakers have defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, the Clippers (twice) and the Denver Nuggets to start the season. But the road ahead gets tougher, mainly because of the quality of the competition.

After facing the Rockets, the Lakers hit the road to play the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday and the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday. Then they return home to play the Detroit Pistons on Friday.”What we’re made of,” sixth man Lamar Odom said when asked what he expects the Lakers to learn during their four-game stretch against difficult opponents next week. “How we want to play. How we want to define ourselves. Do it early in the year. It’s going to be a battle. Just like every game is.”