NOTES

Starting point guard Derek Fisher was held out of the last half of Friday’s practice at the Great Western Forum as a precaution after injuring his left shoulder in a battle for a rebound.

Fisher, who has been a catalyst for the Lakers in the last four games, said he would probably be able to practice today and would play in Game 1 of the playoffs against the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

“It’s cool,” Fisher said.

Fisher started the last 11 games of the regular season, and finished it with a flurry. During the Lakers’ four-game winning streak, he averaged 6.3 assists, 7.3 points, shot 52.6% and averaged only 1.3 turnovers.

“The way he’s been distributing the basketball, Fisher’s been in control,” Coach Kurt Rambis said. “He’s making the right plays at the right time, getting the ball to the right people.

“His defense has always been good, his heart’s always been huge, and he’s just been playing with more confidence. And I think it shows in his decision-making.”

*

The loud confab in Vancouver after their 6-6 start was the first players-only meeting of the season.

The passionate discussion at the Great Western Forum on the day after the April 26 loss in Houston was the most recent.

But there also was a much-less-effective meeting in Sacramento on April 7 that the players only now are mentioning publicly.

“That was more of an individual meeting,” Kobe Bryant said. “Guys were pointing fingers and saying, ‘This is what you’re doing wrong, this is what you’re doing wrong, this is what you’re doing wrong.’ ”

*

Rambis says he wants to balance the intensity of the workouts and teaching sessions with the players’ natural excitement about the playoffs.

“They obviously have to be more focused,” he said. “You’re concentrating on one team specifically and you’re wanting them to home in on everything that they do and the possibilities of certain play situations that they’re going to have to defend.

“But this is also supposed to be the most fun part of the season. I can’t take all of the joy out of it. [When] kids grow, they don’t think of, ‘Yeah, I’d love to play the first 10 games of the regular season.’ ”

*

Rambis says several Lakers will guard Rocket power forward Charles Barkley, but, obviously, starter J.R. Reid will get the first chance.

“He a big strong body and he doesn’t back down from anybody,” Rambis said of Reid.