Jackson Studying Playoff Personnel

Dressed in off-day red flannel, blue jeans and thongs, Coach Phil Jackson spent the first hours of his second L.A. postseason viewing tapes of the Portland Trail Blazers, mulling the defensive strategies and matchups that might save some points.

The Trail Blazers averaged nearly 102 points in their last three games against the Lakers, two of them Trail Blazer victories. Game 1 of the best-of-five series is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Staples Center.

Club officials also considered the postseason roster, due in the league office at noon today. Apparently, the Lakers are strongly considering adding Isaiah “J.R.” Rider, nearly cut from the team last week after a string of behavioral issues. Mike Penberthy and Ty Lue are the other options.

Ron Harper, recuperating from knee surgery, is expected to be activated.

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If the Lakers have trouble defending the Trail Blazers, the mismatches are most likely to come at point guard, where Damon Stoudamire has been a handful, and at power forward, because Rasheed Wallace has averaged 28 points in four games.

That’s assuming Wallace stays in the game. He set an NBA record with 40 technical fouls, and was suspended for Tuesday’s game for throwing a towel at teammate Arvydas Sabonis during Sunday’s game at Staples Center.

“That’s going to be a critical thing, how he adjusts back to his team,” Jackson said. “So much of basketball is connection and reading defenses and knowing your teammates and knowing where the ball’s got to be moved and who’s got the hot hand, and sacrificing your own game for the team.”