Peeler Gives Lift to Lakers : Pro basketball: The guard returns and helps them end losing streak against Cavaliers.

The Lakers, never ones to rebound in a big way, did just that Sunday.

Coming off a horrendous showing two nights earlier, they got Anthony Peeler back from the injured list and were rewarded with 15 points and the key basket in a 107-100 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers before 11,139 at the Forum to avoid tying the worst start in Los Angeles Laker history.

It was Peeler’s first appearance since Oct. 16, the second exhibition game, because of tendinitis in his right knee. Activated from the injured list before the game, there was no pain in his 30 minutes of action, unless you were a Cavalier.

The Lakers scored on their last seven possessions and 13 of their final 14, but none was bigger than Peeler’s basket with 53 seconds left, a straightaway three-pointer with the shot clock at one, worth a 104-96 lead.

“A big, big, big play,” Coach Randy Pfund said.

Said Peeler: “I looked at the shot clock. That’s the last thing I saw. I didn’t pay attention to the defensive man. I just went straight up.

“I had a good feeling it was in. Every shot I shot tonight, my timing was off from not playing. But that was the only one that felt good.”

Peeler’s return put Kurt Rambis on the injured list, with a well-timed bout of tendinitis in the left knee. But the Lakers, who ended a four-game losing streak, held off on activating Elden Campbell, who will be out at least one more game because of a sprained ankle.

Had the Lakers not been playing a team with the height of the Cavaliers, who start 7-foot Brad Daugherty and 6-11 John Williams, Trevor Wilson might have started at power forward. But Pfund, fearing Wilson and Antonio Harvey would be overmatched, went with Sam Bowie. Later the coach used Vlade Divac and James Edwards together.

The job will eventually fall to Campbell, who is expected to be activated in time to face the Clippers on Tuesday at the Sports Arena. That delayed a second roster move and kept one of the Lakers’ best inside players on the sideline while Rambis, their second-leading offensive rebounder despite only 16 minutes an outing, goes out for at least five games.

“Our projection that hopefully we will have Elden back soon has to do with that,” Pfund said. “Rebounding has always been a concern with us. But we’ve had a few games where we were deficient in other areas and held our own rebounding.”

After Friday’s loss to Denver, when Dikembe Mutombo had more rebounds than the Laker starting lineup and the offense set a team record by shooting 32.1%, they never trailed the Cavaliers.

At one stage, with 2:07 left in the second period, the Lakers had an 11-point lead, 47-36. The advantage was 51-47 at intermission, led by the revamped front line of Doug Christie (12 points), Divac (10 points and seven rebounds) and Bowie (10 points).

Christie and Bowie finished with 18 each, tying for team-high honors. Divac had 15 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots.

“Every time we came within striking distance--five, four, three or one--more than a couple times, we would turn the ball over, miss a layup inside or break down defensively and they would score,” Cleveland Coach Mike Fratello said. “You can’t win close games that way.”

Laker Notes

James Worthy recorded his 1,000th career steal in Friday’s loss to Denver, becoming only the third Laker to reach that milestone. Magic Johnson (1,698) and Michael Cooper (1,033) are the others.