Just What Lakers Ordered

At the end of a cold and miserable week -- mostly cold -- for the Lakers, they lifted their heads, played another game without Shaquille O’Neal and Karl Malone, and made a little something of it.

They defeated the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night at Staples Center.

Ordinarily, given the Hawks’ steady slide toward Clipper status in the Eastern Conference, this would not be a significant occasion. But there was the four-game losing streak to consider. And, there was Phil Jackson’s desire to win a game, any game, without O’Neal.

Then, there was the score: 113-67.

Slava Medvedenko, Malone’s temp in the starting lineup, scored 26 points and took 11 rebounds. Kobe Bryant scored 26 points in 31 minutes. Everybody else played around that, the Lakers shooting 51.1%, leading by as many as 53 points and playing the Hawks into one of the worst offensive nights in their history.

Two nights after their worst defeat of the season -- both in terms of points and gravity -- the Lakers had their largest victory. The 46-point margin tied for the fifth widest since the Lakers moved west and came within one point of matching the worst loss ever for the Hawks. Two years ago, the Lakers held the Charlotte Hornets to 66 points, the L.A. low for a Laker opponent.

These things happen on the road in the NBA, for which the Lakers can vouch.

“You gotta put it on us,” Bryant said afterward. “To come in here and win the basketball game is one thing. To come in here and win by 40-something points is another.”

Among the indignities/highlights: The Hawks established a franchise low for points in the first quarter, seven. In reality, it was the Lakers who established it for them, defensively speaking.

“I think they came out with a fury,” said Jackson, who had sought fury, “and played that ballgame with the intensity that is necessary to win.”

The Hawks scored their first points when the Lakers were at 14. The Lakers led 22-2. And 30-4. And 34-6. Atlanta Coach Terry Stotts called timeouts at 8:57, 7:27 and 2:55. They played, he bailed, they missed, he paced and they kicked the ball out of bounds.

When the first quarter ended, at 34-7, Medvedenko had 10 points and six rebounds and one standing ovation. Bryant had 14 points and three assists. The Lakers had made 15 of 23 shots, while the Hawks had missed 12 of 14.

And the Lakers appeared to be feeling better about a period that began with a loss to the Clippers, staggered through Gary Payton’s Minnesota malaise and concluded with Horace Grant’s Denver observation, “We gave up.”

The franchise has had better weeks.

But that’s what the Hawks often bring, confidence in a 48-minute package, and the Lakers seemed to gain on their flaws with every trip down the floor. Medvedenko made 13 of 21 shots. Bryant and Payton combined for 13 assists, five steals and only three turnovers.

The Lakers scored 89 points through three quarters and approached their season high for points, though the second unit played big minutes and nearly all of the fourth quarter. Bryon Russell retook his touch, made all four of his shots, and scored 11 points. Derek Fisher made three of six shots and also scored 11 points. Kareem Rush scored nine points. Jamal Sampson had nine rebounds.

The game turned on the Lakers’ defensive energy, and on only four turnovers in the first 43 minutes, two in the first half. But, the offense went through Medvedenko, the fourth-year player from Ukraine many in the organization believe is only now nearing his potential.

“I did the same as I always do before today,” Medvedenko said. “This was just like a regular game.”

Medvedenko scored 10 of the Lakers’ first 16 points, the last two on a baseline move that stunned a crowd already delirious by the newer-, fresher-looking team before it. From the right wing, Medvedenko dribbled past Shareef Abdur-Rahim and approached the basket with Abdur-Rahim on his left hip. He passed under the rim, into shot-blocker Theo Ratliff and finished the play with a reverse dunk that wowed the fans and his bench.

Jackson called Medvedenko’s game, “One of his career best ... ever, regardless of whether he scored or not. I thought he made some great offensive plays on the offensive boards to keep our game going. He had a great game and the rest of the guys filled in.”

Two hours later, the Lakers rose up off their bench, touched hands, slapped heads, and had a win that wouldn’t have looked like much before. But that was before.

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Shaq-Out

Shaquille O’Neal and the number of games played (with percentage) during his career. O’Neal joined the Lakers for the 1996-1997 season:

*--* YEAR GAMES PLAYED PCT. 1992-93 81 of 82 98.8 1993-94 81 of 82 98.8 1994-95 79 of 82 96.3 1995-96 54 of 82 65.9 1996-97 51 of 82 62.2 1997-98 60 of 82 75.0 1998-99 49 of 50 98.0 1999-00 79 of 82 96.3 2000-01 74 of 82 90.2 2001-02 67 of 82 81.7 2002-03 67 of 82 81.7 2003-04 27 of 33 81.8 Lakers 474 of 575 82.4 Career 769 of 903 85.2

*--*