Barkley, Rockets Bring on the First Loss

With friends like that . . .

Charles Barkley and Cedric Ceballos, chums since their days together in Phoenix, are joined again, as only Barkley can. Ceballos zinged on behalf of the Lakers, Sir Charles zinged back for the Houston Rockets, just with both barrels.

Ceballos, soon after the signing of Shaquille O’Neal, on the Rockets, revamped after the acquisition of Barkley, 33, and Kevin Willis, 33, to go with Hakeem Olajuwon, 33, and Clyde Drexler, 34: “We put a bunch of young guys together and they put a bunch of old guys together. We have an opportunity to try and step on them, put the old guys out of commission.”

Barkley on Tuesday, before the Lakers’ 116-114 loss to the Rockets in an exhibition game in San Diego: “We are an old team. I’m just surprised Cedric’s smart enough to know we were old . . . Cedric had a good point. We have an old team. No big deal to me.”

Of course, someone suggested, the Rockets will show up every night.

“We’ll be there, brother,” Barkley said. “We won’t take any spring breaks in the middle of the season.”

Barkley proceeded to pronounce the Lakers as legitimate contenders for the Western Conference title, then scored 24 points to lead the Rockets. Olajuwon added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lakers, losing for the first time in six exhibition games despite making 56.8% from the field, got 26 points from Ceballos on 10-of-12 shooting and 21 points and nine assists from Nick Van Exel. O’Neal had 22 points and nine rebounds.

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With the possibility looming that he has suffered a stress fracture of the left foot, Jerome Kersey was scheduled to return to Los Angeles late Tuesday night to have an MRI exam taken today.

Kersey, the only true small forward likely to make the team besides Ceballos, has missed the last three games with what was termed as an inflamed bone.

The Lakers, meanwhile, traveled to Tucson to play the Phoenix Suns tonight. Kobe Bryant, out the last two games because of a strained hip flexor, is doubtful. There is a chance he will be back for the exhibition finale Friday in Boise, Ida., against the Seattle SuperSonics.