Priorities Are in Order

Starting today against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers wrap up the regular season with three games in four days, and a 3-0 finish would give them 69 victories, tied with the 1971-72 team for the franchise record.

“I think it was two or three years ago that [Ron Harper] had a jersey made up, ‘72-10 don’t mean a thing without the ring,’ ” Coach Phil Jackson said Saturday, referring to his 1995-96 record-setting Chicago Bulls’ team.

“That type of energy is what we believed in even when we hit 72 wins that year, which is an incredible number of victories, as is potentially what we could reach [this season].”

*

Guard Derek Fisher, on the injured list to heal a bone spur in his right ankle, said he felt some sadness that his streak of 240 consecutive games was over.

“Being injured--I just don’t like it,” he said.

But Fisher said that with his performance suffering (he is shooting 34.6%), it was time to rest up for a playoff run.

“I’ve been dealing with it for a while,” he said. “I just tried my best to be as effective as I could. That was getting harder and harder.

“Everybody decided this would be the best thing at this point. I still didn’t want to do it, I wanted to keep playing. But I was limited.”

TODAY

vs. Minnesota

2:30 p.m., Channel 4

* Site--Staples Center.

* Radio--KLAC (570).

* Records--Lakers 66-13; Timberwolves 49-30.

* Record vs. Timberwolves--3-0.

* Update--Jackson cut practice about 45 minutes short, saying his players looked a little less than focused. The Timberwolves have won 21 of their last 27 and have a chance to leap over the San Antonio Spurs to the No. 5 position in the West.

* Tickets--Sold out.