CAPSULES AND RANKINGS

Team (record) Comment (last week’s position)

1. Lakers (12-2): It looks like they really do need old what’s his name, after all. (1)

2. Seattle (12-3): Upset special: George Karl, upcoming free agent, gets them out fast. (4)

3. Miami (10-5): Ike Austin, free agent-to-be, averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds. (10)

4. Atlanta (13-2): As usual, do fine unless injury (Smith) or two (Henderson) leaves them thin. (3)

5. New York (10-5): Houston, we have a problem: Knicks’ $57-million guard is shooting 38%. (2)

6. Portland (10-5): NBA fashion cops threaten $1-million fine as Rasheed Wallace’s shorts keep drooping. (5)

7. Phoenix (9-3): Manning, finally back from ’94 surgery, averages 18 points, leads NBA subs. (9)

8. Orlando (10-5): Ex-Laker Strong averages 16 points in Magic’s six-game winning streak. (8)

9. Charlotte (9-5): Free agent-to-be tandem, Vlade-Geiger, averages 24 points, 14 rebounds. (7)

10. Utah (9-6): Good news: In the bedraggled Midwest, the Jazz is still right there. (17)

11. San Antonio (9-6) Not quite ready for prime time. Seattle, Utah beat Spurs back-to-back by 49. (6)

12. Indiana (7-6): Larry Legend pops above .500 mark for first time in his coaching career. (12)

13. New Jersey (9-5): Jayson Williams, free agent-to-be, averaging 14 points, 14 rebounds. (16)

14. Chicago (9-7): If the season had ended Friday, Bulls would have missed the playoffs. (11)

15. Cleveland (9-6): Cedric Henderson, second-round pick from Memphis, fourth Cavalier rookie to start. (18)

16. Houston (8-5): On bright side, they don’t have to worry how Big Three are getting along. (13)

17. Milwaukee (9-6): Playing six in row vs. last season’s playoff teams, so we’ll see. (15)

18. Boston (7-9): Ron Mercer, whom NBA scouts bombed last spring, looks like real thing. (20)

19. Detroit (6-10): Brian Williams averaging 22 points, 11 rebounds in his last six games. (22)

20. Minnesota (7-8): Stanley Roberts becomes new starting center as defense caves in. Good luck. (14)

21. Washington (5-11): Starting guards Strickland, Cheaney have a total of six three-point shots. (21)

22. Vancouver (6-11): Look at it this way: Eight more wins matches last season’s total. (19)

23. Sacramento (5-10): In 12 seasons here, drew 17,000 every game--until 12,950 for Nuggets. (23)

24. Philadelphia (4-8): Eric Montross was averaging 1.1 points a game until Lakers hit town. (24)

25. Clippers (2-14): Bloom’s off rose in Orange County too. Only 11,030 fans at Pond Friday. (25)

26. Toronto (1-13): Thomas bids adieu. They lose to Mavericks. Looks like bottom just dropped out. (26)

27. Golden State (1-13) No new building bounce for them. Drew 1990s-low 9,678 for Nets game. (27)

28. Dallas (4-11): Cleamons grows beard for beachcomber look, will be ready if he’s fired. (28)

29. Denver (1-12): Now they’re girding for Pearl Harbor Day when they’ll host the Clippers. (29)

GAME OF THE WEEK

SAN ANTONIO AT LAKERS

* When--Friday. Time--7:30 p.m. TV--Fox Sports West.

* Storyline--The Lakers hope to have Shaquille O’Neal back. The Spurs, who have struggled, hope to get back to where they were before the first meeting. San Antonio, then 6-1, led the Lakers, 96-90, with 2:06 left in regulation before Nick Van Exel tied it with a late 20-footer, sending it into overtime where the Lakers won. In his first game against the Texas Towers, it was Shaq 34, David Robinson 27, Tim Duncan 19.