Ceballos Looks Good as New : Pro basketball: With thumb getting better all the time, he scores 25 to lead Lakers over Hawks, 121-107.

Now he’s back.

Nine days after returning to uniform, Cedric Ceballos returned to form Friday night, making 11 of 15 shots and getting a team-high 25 points along with eight rebounds as the Lakers defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 121-107, before 16,760 at the Forum for their sixth victory in seven games.

“He looked like he was back in the flow,” Nick Van Exel said after adding 20 points and eight assists. “Like he was never injured before.”

“I’ve been in the flow,” Ceballos countered, “but every day, I’ve got less and less stuff on my hand, so I feel better. I’m more comfortable.

“You’ve got to remember, I’m still ahead of the process. I was supposed to be back on the sixth.”

That stuff on his hand is the tape and plastic brace that was used to protect the repaired torn ligament in his right thumb. And, yes, Ceballos actually is ahead of schedule in that, even as recently as a few days before being activated, the Lakers thought he would return the first or second week of April.

It’s April 1 today, and Ceballos is back now. No fooling.

The Hawks would corroborate. They had rallied to close within 105-100 with 3 1/2 minutes left, but Ceballos answered on the Lakers’ behalf.

First he tipped in Anthony Peeler’s missed jumper, and, on the next possession, filled the left lane on a three-on-one break, took the pass from Van Exel and got the layup and the foul. When he made the free throw, the Lakers again had breathing room at 110-100 with 1:58 remaining. The Hawks never threatened again.

Eddie Jones also snapped out of his shooting slump, making eight of 15 shots for 18 points, but he wasn’t alone.

Quickly putting Wednesday’s horrible shooting performance at San Antonio behind them, the Lakers shot 65.2% in the first quarter against the Hawks to build a 13-point lead late. That held up for a 36-27 advantage after the first 12 minutes, the most points Atlanta has allowed in an opening quarter all season.

By intermission, the Lakers were up, 69-60, tying their biggest offensive for a first half. No wonder. They shot a sizzling 70.7%, going 29 of 41, including 24 of 28 on two-pointers. The four guards--Van Exel, Peeler, Jones and Sedale Threatt--were a combined 18 of 25.

Atlanta came in giving up only 94.8 points a game, No. 2 in the league, but the Lakers reached that on the final possession of the third quarter, when a driving layup by Threatt with 0.2 seconds left provided a 95-84 lead. The hosts hit 100 with 8:29 remaining in the game, courtesy of Sam Bowie’s straight-away jumper.

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Laker Notes

George Lynch, who has been sidelined the last 18 games because of a stress fracture in his right foot, has been cleared to resume full practice, but his immediate future remains very much up in the air. The Lakers say the reserve forward has the type of injury that might not heal without surgery, so how soon he comes back will depend on how much pain and discomfort he can withstand. That means Lynch could be activated as soon as Tuesday or stay on the injured list the rest of the season, which would keep him off the playoff roster. He also could play and need an operation in the summer, or the foot could break even worse and require surgery sooner.

Sam Bowie played 26 minutes and scored 10 points in his return after sitting out most of the previous three games because of a sore right knee. The reserve center-power forward had played only nine minutes last Sunday at the Forum before being forced out, then stayed home when the Lakers went to Texas. . . . Even after losing to the Spurs on Wednesday, the Lakers are still 14-9 against the seven other Western Conference teams who would be in the playoffs if the season ended today: 4-0 against Seattle, 4-0 against Houston, 2-1 against Portland, 1-1 against Utah, 1-2 against Denver, 1-2 against San Antonio and 1-3 against the Suns.