Lakers Regroup Against Celtics

BOSTON — Meanwhile, back at the dynasty . . .

All was right in the Laker world again by late Wednesday night, with a new winning streak to begin, plenty of opportunities ahead to do just that, one of their own getting cheered in a reception as much heresy as appreciation, and an easy victory to wash away the first loss of the season. For good measure, it came against the Boston Celtics, 118-103, before 18,624 at the FleetCenter.

These being many of the same Lakers who lost here last season, the victory was that much nicer, even if this is a much different Celtic squad. And that it came a night after the disappointing showing in Miami, all the better.

Not that they sprung back to their feet. In a tough bit of scheduling, the Lakers had to play in Southern Florida and New England on back-to-back nights, a difficult turnaround even in the world of chartered jets, and one that got players to their rooms at about 3 a.m. Wednesday. There went the shootaround, which happens from time to time, but is rarely needed as much as by a team about to face the Celtics.

Seriously. Not so much in that Boston came in having won six of its previous seven, even if the list of victims reads more like David Stern warming up for the lottery show, but that Rick Pitino’s defensive style is unique, filled with traps and presses.

The Lakers know about these kinds of things, because they have faced the Seattle SuperSonics so often, and beaten them so often. They know because they have had success with the same weapon themselves. The difference with the Celtics, though, is that they have the weapon switched to automatic, trying to force turnovers or quick shots before teams have the chance to beat up their 230-pound centers inside.

And then the Lakers started to become another victim. First half: 15 turnovers--about as many as they averaged the previous 12 games. The Celtics led by 11 before the Lakers cut it to 53-52 at the half.

That’s when the recovery game, before the losing streak did. The Lakers regrouped nicely, committed only eight turnovers after intermission as Nick Van Exel played 39 minutes in a move for stability at point guard, and they took control late in the third quarter.

“I really felt good about the way our guys played,” Coach Del Harris said. “It’s literally culture shock when you have to come in to play this style of game. Nobody else plays this way. It took our guys the first, into the second quarter to get used to the pace, the frenzy.”

Especially since it came about 24 hours after facing the Miami Heat, a good defensive team, but one that employs more of a straight-up, hard-hat style. It would be like facing a knuckleballer one night and a fastball pitcher the next.

Kobe Bryant (seven turnovers) and Elden Campbell (six) had the most trouble, but Campbell also had a team-high 22 points in 34 minutes, a surprising amount of time considering the Lakers expected to go small most of the night, such as when they had Robert Horry at center and Rick Fox at power forward in the fourth quarter. Van Exel? One turnover, nine assists.

Fox, of course, was in the spotlight anyway, no matter where he played. It’s who he played for. Anybody but the Celtics.

That was the strange part, coming back to Boston for the first time as a visitor after calling it home the previous six years. The stranger part was coming back as a Laker and a Laker getting cheered anywhere in the Commonwealth, let alone while standing on sacred parquet.

“Different,” Fox said after making eight of 10 shots and contributing 18 points. “I spent six years before playing for the Celtics, two in this building. I was on the other side just last year.”

When he was getting cheered even louder.

“A lot of them may be looking at it as me being a turncoat,” he said of the fans, most of whom gave him a warm greeting during introductions. “Some people just have so much hatred for the Lakers.”

Especially winning Lakers. They’re 12-1 now after shooting 59.7% and are lined up for another winning streak, what with the next three games coming against the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets.

* MANNING MILESTONE: Danny Manning scored his 10,000th point and the Phoenix Suns made all 25 of their free throws to hold off the New Jersey Nets. C4

* LAKER REPORT: C5