George Steps It Up at Key Time

All you need to know about Devean George’s performance against Houston in Game 5 on Wednesday is that he was on the bench during fourth-quarter garbage time.

Although he finished with only seven points, George made his second start of the series count with an impressive performance that featured several key plays in a breakout third quarter. He played tight defense on the Rockets’ Jim Jackson and came up with a couple of steals to help the Lakers turn a tight game into a blowout victory.

“That’s what we all want to do,” said George, who finished with four steals and four rebounds. “As role players, we just want to chip in on a win. We don’t want to come out and score all the points ... that’s not our job.”

A week ago, George was basically an afterthought for the Lakers. After opening the season as Coach Phil Jackson’s starting small forward, George went into a funk that lasted most of the second half of the season.

By the time veteran Rick Fox returned off the injured list, George already was getting less and less playing time.

He lost his shooting touch and his defensive play wasn’t up to par for the Lakers’ coaching staff.

George played a combined 26 minutes over the first three games of the series against the Rockets, scoring only five points.

“I never got down,” George said. “I know that times are tough at times. I just stuck with it and kept working on my game, waiting for my time to come.”

In Game 4, George stepped up with eight points (all in the third quarter) and helped the Lakers to a key victory in the series.

He played 23 minutes and performed well enough to be rewarded with another start.

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One reason Karl Malone signed with the Lakers last summer was to play against San Antonio and Tim Duncan. Knowing that power forward has been a weak position for the Lakers, Malone is now ready for the challenge.

“I really didn’t play much this season and I’m playing with a lot of energy right now,” said Malone, who had 18 points and nine rebounds in Wednesday’s Game 5 victory.

“I look forward to playing aggressive [against Duncan]. I know I need to continue to be aggressive, especially in this series. I have to do a job on the defensive end but also make sure that they play me on the offensive end.”