Lakers Try to Live for the Moment

The boredom of the last three months--Magic Johnson returned, Cedric Ceballos disappeared, Nick Van Exel shoved an official and Johnson bumped another referee five days later, that’s all--gives way tonight to the playoffs and a first-round matchup with the two-time defending champions. Finally, some news around the Forum.

At least the Lakers won’t be bothered by the scrutiny the postseason brings. They warmed up for this moment by spending the last 40 games under a microscope of national attention, for good reasons and bad. Their impressive response was a 29-11 record and ownership of home-court advantage for the first round. Along the way, they answered a lot of questions, but raised one more:

With all that has gone on, is this team focused enough to win what should be a very difficult best-of-five series against the Houston Rockets, let alone challenge for the Western Conference title?

“There’s a lot of concern by the media, by other people,” said Van Exel, who tonight returns for the first time since April 9.

“But from our team, I don’t think it’s any concern. We know what we can do, we know what we’re capable of doing. It’s just a matter of us going out and competing.”

Added Johnson: “That’s behind us. Nobody will remember what happened starting Thursday. Not even the fans. Nobody. It’s a whole new thing. We already started that. We already started just like nothing happened all season long, and that’s the attitude you have to have.

“This is now, this is the present. You have to live right now. We have to be ready for what’s happening now. You think Houston is worrying about how many injuries they had this past season? No, they’re not. They’re worried about the Lakers and getting ready.

“So we’re not worried. Everybody’s forgotten that. It’s time to play, it’s time to home in, it’s time to focus, it’s time to prepare. And that’s what we’re doing.”

They’re preparing to face a team that’s also trying to pull it together on the run.

If many of the Lakers’ problems have been self-inflicted, the last few months have taken another kind of toll on the Rockets. Put it this way: They’ve had a fractured lineup themselves of late.

Clyde Drexler sat out 29 games after arthroscopic knee surgery. Sam Cassell sat out 20 games after an elbow operation. Mario Elie broke his arm and was forced out for 36 games. Hakeem Olajuwon spent 10 games on the sidelines because of tendinitis in both knees. All since Jan. 17.

The Rockets aren’t in the clear yet, either. Drexler recovered from the operation, then developed soreness and fluid on the same knee after a collision, forcing him to cut short a practice earlier this week. Robert Horry is hobbled by ankle problems.

“We go into the playoffs with a lot of question marks,” Houston Coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. “Last year we were in a similar situation, but we were trying to find out who we were last year. This year, the question is, ‘How healthy will we be?’ ”

The other question is, does it matter? Considering the heart the Rockets have shown the last two seasons, they could start Tomjanovich, the equipment manager and a bunch of those CBA players who kept them afloat during the trying times and still take some teams to a Game 5.

Still, the Rockets are beat up and, like the Lakers, face the possibility of being out of sync. They finished fifth in the West and third in the Midwest Division, 11 games behind San Antonio.

In other words, they’ve got everybody right where they want them.

“My hat has been off to them for two years,” Laker Coach Del Harris said. “But hopefully, I can keep it on this year. Back in Indiana, we got an expression that the sun doesn’t shine on the same dog’s back all the time. And I think it’s somebody else’s turn.”

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Lakers vs. Rockets

SERIES AT A GLANCE

* Game 1 --Tonight at Forum, 7:30

* Game 2 --Saturday at Forum, 12:30

* Game 3 --April 30 at Houston, 6

* Game 4*--May 2 at Houston, TBA

* Game 5*--May 4 at Forum, TBA

* If necessary

All times Pacific