Rookie Lynch Playing Like an All-Star Now : Lakers: He continues surge with career-high 26 points and four steals in victory over Mavericks.

His bonus money from the shoe deal and the trading card company and the NBA for making the rookie all-star game won’t be coming, because George Lynch wasn’t picked to play in Minneapolis a week from today.

His time, however, has come.

Though it meant the extended loss of a talented teammate, Lynch continues to make Doug Christie’s sprained ankle look like one of the best things to happen to the Lakers all season. When Christie went out, Lynch went in, triggering a turn of events that reached new heights Friday night, when he scored a game-high 26 points and made four steals in a 95-87 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at Reunion Arena.

The rookie who a month ago had trouble getting into the game has played at least 41 minutes the last five outings.

The rookie who once struggled as an undersized power forward has 18 and 12 rebounds within the last four outings.

The rookie who was taken for defense and rebounding has scored 20 points or more in two of the last four outings.

None of this probably would have happened had the Lakers not been forced into starting Lynch when Christie suffered the ankle injury that has kept him out the last 10 games and probably will for several more. But since it has happened. . . .

“George Lynch, my goodness,” Coach Randy Pfund said. “Every night, he seems to be doing more.”

Against the Mavericks, he did more than enough. The 26 points were a season high. He made 10 of 19 shots. He had only six rebounds, the fewest since becoming a starter, but five of those came on the offensive end.

Lynch has everything going for him except recognition. Because selections for the inaugural rookie all-star game were made several weeks ago, he wasn’t even in contention to join teammate Nick Van Exel in Minnesota. And because he barely played early on, the former North Carolina standout doesn’t come close to having the minimum qualifying standards to rank among the league leaders.

Overall, he’s at a respectable eight points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.28 steals, 55% shooting and 17.7 minutes. Going off his numbers as a starter, though, he rates: 16.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.1 steals, 36.3 minutes and 54.5% shooting. Only 10 games, but the steals would put him first in the league heading into Friday’s games, the shooting 10th and the rebounds tied for 16th.

“I figure if I play, whether at the end of the season or the middle, that if I keep doing what I’m doing, I’m going to get the credit,” Lynch said. “I hope.”

Lynch had a key defensive play in the closing minutes as the Lakers held of a Dallas charge from a 13-point third-quarter deficit, stealing the ball from Jamal Mashburn. If Mashburn had scored on his slice through the lane, the lead would have been down to three, but the strip and subsequent driving layup by Sedale Threatt made it a four-point turnaround. That put the Lakers safely ahead again, 94-87, with 1:57 to go and the Mavericks a step closer to their 41st loss in 45 games.

Elden Campbell had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who ended a five-game road losing streak. Vlade Divac had 15 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists and a near fight. That happened with 7:10 left in the third quarter, when he and Randy White tussled over a rebound after the whistle had blown. White shoved Divac, then took a swing that didn’t connect, still enough to earn an ejection and certain suspension.

Divac didn’t retaliate with a counterpunch, saving him from getting kicked out, too. But that didn’t save him from playing the villain the rest of the night, getting booed every time he touched the ball.

“It makes me feel good,” Divac said later, smiling. “I’m used to it. Laker fans boo me at home.”