Harper to Get Added Rest Before Playoffs

Coach Kurt Rambis, hoping to make sure 37-year-old Derek Harper doesn’t burn out before the playoffs, is planning to sharply reduce Harper’s workload in the near future.

Harper had started 29 of the Lakers’ previous 30 games and was averaging 26.5 minutes, but on Tuesday was replaced in the starting lineup by Derek Fisher, who started the first nine games of the season.

Fisher played 23 minutes, rookie Tyronn Lue played 21, and Harper only 11.

“I know how hard it is to recover, especially when you’re a guard, playing the amount of games that we’re playing in the short period of time that we’ve played each game,” said Rambis, who also noted that Harper was originally brought in to be a key backup.

“It’s just a way to get his legs back fresh getting ready for the playoffs.”

Though saying he probably wasn’t any more or less weary than any of the other Lakers in this hectic season, Harper did concede that his declining shooting percentage (28.6% in the nine games between March 28 and April 11) probably was partially a reflection of tired legs.

“He’s looking down the road,” Harper said of Rambis. “I have confidence in Tyronn and Fish to get it done. I mean, at 37, 16 years in the league, I’m going to take the rest.”

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A Laker spokesman said the team was “hopeful” that forward Glen Rice, who has sat out the last two games with what Tuesday was diagnosed as tonsillitis, would be able to play in the team’s next game, Saturday in Utah.

Rookie Ruben Patterson started his second consecutive game in Rice’s place Tuesday, and had six points and five rebounds in 16 minutes.