Metta World Peace had always lingered to chat with reporters after games this season, even on the many occasions when he had not provided much to talk about.

Whether he had scored two points in 13 minutes or had tallied five points in 20 minutes, the Lakers forward could be found sitting in one corner of the locker room, legs submerged in an ice bucket, mouth running amok.

The veteran made a different kind of run Wednesday night after his best game of the season: one for the exit.

World Peace didn’t so much as stop to shower before departing Staples Center after the Lakers’ emotional 96-91 victory over the Clippers.

He did pause long enough to hear seven words of advice from Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who said he told World Peace, “You’ve got to be who you are.”

The World Peace who showed up Wednesday was one the Lakers had not seen in a while. He collected two steals, three points, five rebounds and seven assists in a season-high 38 minutes off the bench.

It was a rare moment of glory for a player who had mostly been a bust since moving into a reserve role.

World Peace was particularly prolific in the final 3-1/2 minutes, making a three-pointer that gave the Lakers an 87-82 lead, feeding Andrew Bynum with a pass that resulted in a dunk and blocking a shot by Chris Paul after the Clippers point guard had made a foray into the lane.

World Peace punctuated his three-pointer by pounding his chest, enjoying a rare burst of applause from fans who had been less than enamored with his play this season.

“I thought his physical and mental toughness throughout the course of his 38 minutes was phenomenal,” Lakers Coach Mike Brown said. “The one shot he hit was obviously a big shot, but the seven assists, five rebounds, the block that he had, the two steals and his physical and mental toughness really impacted the game.”

Brown was so pleased with World Peace’s production that starting small forward Matt Barnes played fewer than four minutes in the second half. Barnes did not appear pleased at one point when he was removed from the game.

World Peace seems to be trending after following his 11-point effort against Indiana on Sunday with an excellent all-around effort against the Clippers. Could it be time for a new plan for World Peace, perhaps as a starter?

Coming off the bench has not gone according to script for a player whose coach had predicted he was capable of scoring in double digits as the leader of the second unit. He is averaging only 5.3 points and has scored two points or fewer in nine games.

But World Peace seemed comfortable playing with the starters Wednesday.

“Metta came out and he did a great job for us,” Bynum said. “He moved the ball, participated on offense and then obviously was physical on defense.”

That was particularly true when World Peace tangled with Blake Griffin on the floor early in the third quarter while trying to strip the ball from the Clippers forward. The play resulted in a jump ball that the Lakers secured on their way to their first win over the Clippers this season.

Bryant certainly liked the version of World Peace he saw on the floor Wednesday.

“The difference tonight,” Bryant said, “was he was the guy that won a championship with us.”

ben.bolch@latimes.com