LAKER NOTES

The first-round Western Conference playoff series with the Houston Rockets was a model for the Laker defense, especially as it prepared to face San Antonio, one of the best defensive teams in the league.

Moving swiftly on rotations and averaging 8.5 blocked shots in the four-game series victory, the Lakers held Houston to 41.5% shooting.

In the regular season, the Lakers blocked 5.74 shots a game, and opponents made 44.1% of their shots.

“Remember early on in the year when I was [complaining] about our inability to defend and to help each other and to be a smart basketball team?” said Laker forward Rick Fox, who blasted the team’s effort during a span when it gave up an average of 105 points a game.

“We’re a totally different team right now.”

Meanwhile, San Antonio held opponents to 40.2% shooting in the regular season, and the Minnesota Timberwolves to 39.6% in their first-round playoff series.

Laker Coach Kurt Rambis said that it all centers on Tim Duncan and David Robinson, the shot-blockers who anchor the Spur defense.

“They do a good job getting back,” Rambis said before Game 1 in San Antonio. “You’re not going to get any easy opportunities to score.

“Their outside people know, even the guys on the post know, that their backs are going to be covered by two people that really come to block the shot.

“They really do a good job of shutting down the middle, which forces a lot of teams to take outside shots.”

The Spurs held the Lakers to 38% shooting in Game 1--with Shaquille O’Neal making only six of 19 shots--and had nine blocked shots, two above their regular-season average.

The Lakers continued their improved defensive play as the Spurs made 41.9% of their shots and had 14 turnovers, nine in the fourth quarter.

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The Lakers’ recent run of success has accompanied a very stable pattern of game, day off, game, day off.

In the series with the Spurs, however, the Lakers will have back-to-back days with no games (Thursday and Friday), then play Saturday and Sunday.

‘The whole season with this team has been a series of adjustments, and we’re going to just have to adjust,” Rambis said.