A Chance to Make Stand at Home

At the end of their six weeks away, in which they played nearly as many games in Utah and Houston combined (four) as they did in Los Angeles (seven), the Lakers find themselves neither languishing nor flourishing. Just ... there.

When they went out on 21 road games in 28, a period that included three trips to the Eastern seaboard, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Shaquille O’Neal and Rick Fox were on the injured list.

And, while slowly bringing them all back, some of them back and forth and back again, the Lakers won 13 of the 21 road games and 18 of the 28 overall.

Now, with 16 games left in the regular season, 13 of them at Staples Center, they stand in the fourth position in the Western Conference, with a home-based, first-round, best-of-seven series against the Dallas Mavericks if the season ended today.

Considering Malone has scored 23 points in going on three months, Bryant has played as many as nine consecutive games once in two months, and Gary Payton has scored more than 20 points in a game once in a month, the Lakers are reasonably pleased, in the sense that the alternative would have been far worse.

“It’s refreshing,” Derek Fisher said, “to think about a chance to go home, get our legs under us, catch our breaths and get ourselves moving in the right direction.”

They could catch the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves over the final four weeks, though they would have to pass the Timberwolves for a home-court series, given three losses in three games against them. They haven’t beaten a team anybody really cares about since Dec. 3 in San Antonio, but haven’t been healthy since about then either.

“We have to be happy with where we’re sitting,” Coach Phil Jackson said on his way out of Chicago on Saturday night. “We’d have been happy to play .500 on the road. We’ve done much better than that. As a consequence, we have to take it and run with it.”

The re-entry of Bryant into the triangle atmosphere had its moments last week, with his finding enough time between physical therapy and shoulder-pad fittings to try 61 field goals and 32 free throws in three games, two of them wins.

Bryant admitted it was important to help Malone and Payton along, saying, “Let them get in the flow of it, let them get a feel for the game, where their spots are coming, where to get post-up opportunities and in operational situations.” He said he’d find them there, basically, as long as it didn’t cost them a win.

In the meantime, a lot of possessions start with O’Neal, Malone and Payton running the floor and end with them turning on their heels, three-quarters of the way between defense and offense. Judging by his subdued reaction to Bryant’s game Saturday, Jackson probably will work on that.

“Less travel means more practice,” Fisher said. “It doesn’t mean Phil’s going to kill us, but he’ll get us a chance to improve as a team.”

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As if the last trip wasn’t long enough in real time, Devean George went all four games without making a shot, or 0 for the itinerary.

The fifth-year forward had a miserable week, during which he missed his 12 attempts, was benched in Boston and then was seriously considered for the injured list, despite being physically well enough to play.

But Jackson, hoping George will regain his composure and shooting touch by the playoffs, began the psychological rehabilitation Saturday night. Just as it seemed he had fallen off the end of the bench, George played the entire fourth quarter against the Chicago Bulls, and appeared a bit less glum afterward.

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Malone is 1,655 points from passing all-time scoring leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

At his Laker scoring average of 13.8 points, Malone would need 120 games, which would take him well past his 42nd birthday, and two seasons beyond this one. If he were to play the 16 remaining regular-season games, then return next season and play all 82, he’d have to average 16.9 points to eclipse Abdul-Jabbar’s mark.

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Horace Grant is scheduled to have an MRI test today. He has missed six of the last seven games because of hip and groin pain.