Lakers Look Back After Loss to Jazz : Pro basketball: After 111-99 defeat, their hold on playoff spot is more precarious.

The Lakers’ 111-99 loss to the Utah Jazz on Sunday night left them with a new perspective.

Instead of figuring which team they can overtake to improve their Western Conference playoff seeding, their eighth loss in nine games has them craning their heads over their shoulders at the Denver Nuggets, who are merely four games behind them for eighth place.

“Now, we’re not looking at seventh position,” Vlade Divac said, “because it’s going to be a big fight for the playoffs.”

Said Coach Randy Pfund: “Denver’s playing well, and right now we can’t win a basketball game.”

His decision to start Elden Campbell at power forward instead of James Worthy did little to halt the Lakers’ slump. Campbell had 11 points during the first quarter but none during the second and Worthy had 10 points as the sixth man, but the Jazz still had a 43-34 rebounding edge and shot 53.9%. Karl Malone (11 for 19, 24 points) and David Benoit, who was 10 for 13 for a career-high 23 points, led Utah to its fifth victory in six games.

“We’ve got to try to keep our heads up,” said Campbell, who finished with 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks, a performance that probably will win him another start. “There’s still 11 or 12 games. There’s still time to get some confidence.”

Pfund had enough confidence in the unit of Anthony Peeler (a team-high 19 points), Doug Christie, Tony Smith, Divac and Campbell to send them in en masse midway through the third quarter with the Jazz leading, 72-54. They cut that lead to four with 1:57 to play in the quarter, but Pfund sent Sedale Threatt in for Christie early in the fourth quarter. The difference was 96-92 with seven minutes to play, after Smith made a driving layup for two of his 11 points. But Smith missed a jumper and Karl Malone made one and a free throw to make the score 99-92.

A.C. Green made an 18-footer to keep the 15,953 fans interested, but a layup by Tyrone Corbin and a steal by Jay Humphries sealed the victory for the Jazz, who finished the game without Coach Jerry Sloan. He was ejected for disputing a foul call with 3:30 to play in the third quarter.

“I came back with Sedale because he has more experience running the offense,” Pfund said of his strategy. “Maybe I should have stuck with (the previous unit). Maybe I still have confidence in our people. Maybe I have to get hit over the head.”

Laker Notes

Responding to a report Sunday on NBC’s NBA telecast that he would be fired after this season, Coach Randy Pfund said he had gotten no sign from General Manager Jerry West or owner Jerry Buss that his job is in jeopardy. West 10 days ago said Pfund had done “a nice job,” and added, “We don’t get rid of people around here.” However, the Lakers have since fallen into the eighth Western Conference playoff spot. “I feel like I know where we’re heading and I have to concentrate on that. I can’t concentrate on speculation,” said Pfund, who signed a multiyear contract last May. “I do know we’re not playing well and that’s a concern, and I’m putting all my energy into making moves that would change that. . . . I don’t think there’s such a thing as job security in the NBA. You lose two in a row and you need to be concerned, and we’re past that. My business is to try and win basketball games, and I think there’s a bit of reality mixed in, looking at this situation.”

This is the first time the Clippers have been ahead of the Lakers in standings since Feb. 10.