Wrong Time for the Lakers to Hit Skids : NBA playoffs: After losing seven of their last eight games, they try to regroup this week before facing Seattle in first round.

It just seems as though the Lakers are going south.

They have actually headed east, to College of the Desert and a three-day mini-camp in preparation for the playoffs, a time that could go a long way toward determining whether the last two weeks have been a minor detour or a road sign indicating the end of the line is near. Very near.

Seven losses in the last eight games make the two-a-days today and Tuesday and the single practice on Wednesday a critical time, more than just the usual fine-tuning heading into the opener Thursday at Seattle. All the Lakers need to do in that span is discover what happened to their scoring, their defensive intensity, their shot blocking and, perhaps most importantly, their emotion. In between, they can prepare for the SuperSonics.

“We’ll find a way to get ourselves back in line,” Coach Del Harris said. “It’s as much mental--getting our spirit back, our mind-set back--as the physical stuff.”

Added Cedric Ceballos, when asked what’s missing of late: “Enthusiasm. Wanting to play, wanting to get the things done, not worrying about the little things, not refereeing, not complaining. We weren’t doing that before. We were just playing. Whatever happened happened.”

So what has happened?

It’s as though all but locking up the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference weeks ago, and knowing it would take a major fall to drop to No. 6, was the worst thing that could have happened to the Lakers. That chance to take the foot off the gas pedal did to them what all those injuries could not. Then, at the very end, even the goal of winning 50 games for the first time since 1990-91 was not enough to pull out of the tailspin.

It didn’t help that the schedule for the last eight games was treacherous: San Antonio, Utah, Phoenix, Seattle, Portland twice, most of those battling for the best record in the NBA or the Western Conference or a division title. But too often, the showings weren’t even credible against teams they want to consider their playoff equals.

Remember . . .

--Spurs 101, Lakers 87. San Antonio, playing on the road, had a 10-point lead before the first quarter was over, then went up by 18 in the second and 20 in the third and fourth. The Lakers shot 39.8%.

--Jazz 100, Lakers 93. Four days after beating Utah by 23 points at the Forum, the Lakers fell behind by 15 in the second quarter at Salt Lake City. A late rally came up short.

--Kings 109, Lakers 99. The Kings, below average in scoring and mediocre rebounders, hit the jackpot on offense and got 20 offensive boards to again expose a major Laker weakness.

--Suns 119, Lakers 114. The Lakers built a 15-point cushion in the second quarter, but Phoenix, even with Charles Barkley serving a one-game suspension, roared back to win.

--Lakers 125, Mavericks 111. The lone victory the last two weeks.

--SuperSonics 113, Lakers 97. Seattle denied it was trying to send a message to the then-potential first-round opponent after having lost the four previous meetings to the Lakers. It just looked that way. Coming out with much more intensity, the SuperSonics turned it into a rout before halftime, leading by 30 points in the second quarter and eventually by as many as 37. L.A. shot 41.7% and allowed 57%.

--Trail Blazers 113, Lakers 97. This time, the Lakers trailed by only 24 points in the second quarter. They got within seven with 7 1/2 minutes left, but one of the best teams in the league at taking care of the ball then committed three turnovers the next four possessions.

--Trail Blazers 109, Lakers 104. The regular season ends. The Lakers surpassed 100 points only three times those eight games and shot 44.6% while the defense broke down, surrendering 109.1 points and 49.8%. The No. 1 shot-blocking team in the league most of the second half of the season also slumped to get only 5.12 in that span, nearly three fewer than usual.

Today, they have a 48-34 record, and much to figure out.

“If I had to put my finger on it, it would have to be on the defensive end,” Sam Bowie said. “We’re not stopping anyone.

“I don’t know if it’s the fact that for the last two weeks we’ve pretty much been locked into the fifth spot and guys don’t have an extra incentive to go out and perform well. But enough is enough right now.”

* PREVIEW: Mark Heisler’s look at the playoffs. C6