Lakers Get No Love in Philly

The losses are beginning to look the same, with subtle nuances such as city names blending into the backdrop of a playoff push that keeps getting pushed around.

The Lakers fell to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday in much the same way they lost to the Washington Wizards on Monday, with an overwhelmed defense and an underperforming Kobe Bryant.

The latest sampling, a 108-91 loss in front of 20,778 in Wachovia Center, unfolded before Bryant’s oft-unfriendly hometown crowd, in a city where he had purchased dozens of tickets for friends, family and otherwise.

Bryant, booed loudly during introductions, had 20 points, only four in the last three quarters, and the Lakers fell half a game behind the Denver Nuggets for the eighth and last playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Bryant did not score in the fourth quarter and sat out the first 7 minutes 18 seconds of the quarter as the Lakers’ second unit rallied briefly. All told, Bryant made six of 15 shots and had two assists and three rebounds in 36 minutes.

“We played horrible the last two games,” Bryant said. “The one positive is we’ve been inconsistent all season long. Being that we’ve [struggled] really bad our last two games, maybe we’ll play world championship-caliber basketball the next two.”

Such an occurrence would be defined as the best timing of the season for the Lakers, with games at Miami on Thursday and at Indiana on Friday.

Between now and then, they have work to do. They allowed another team to run away, falling to 6-27 when an opponent scores 100 points or more. They also had a player ejected for the second time in a week, this time Chucky Atkins leaving early after arguing a call by referee Jack Nies in the third quarter.

It wasn’t as much of an eyesore as Lamar Odom launching a ball in frustration across the court into the first few rows of Staples Center against the Clippers, but it won’t be included in the annual Laker calendar, either.

Atkins, after being turned around by guard Allen Iverson in transition, was called for a foul as Iverson made a layup. Atkins protested, picked up his first technical, and, after Coach Frank Hamblen stepped between him and Nies, picked up a second technical for yelling obscenities at Nies.

Atkins was led off the court by one of Bryant’s bodyguards.

One of the more vocal and critically insightful Laker players, Atkins was not around to talk to reporters afterward. He had one point in 20 minutes and missed his six shots.

“It’s been going [badly] for Chucky a little. He’s had some problems with getting early fouls in games,” Hamblen said. “I knew he was ready to go. I got to him and tried to get him off the floor but I couldn’t close his mouth.”

When the Lakers were still entertaining thoughts of starting their six-game trip with a 3-1 record, Hamblen said the key would be to contain Iverson, the league’s leading scorer.

“We’re going to be chasing him all over the place,” Hamblen said, hoping the chasing would not lead to fouls and free throws.

It did.

Iverson had 36 points and made 14 of 15 free throws. He did it despite suffering a chipped bone in his left thumb in the third quarter, an injury described with a phrase that would also characterize the Laker playoff hopes -- day to day.

“Our goal is to give it a heck of a run as far as making the playoffs,” Hamblen said. “All the individual stuff has to be set aside. Don’t hang your head if you miss a shot. If you turn the ball over, get your tail back.”

The Lakers trailed at the end of the third quarter, 87-62, a deficit that had been as high as 28 points.

Jumaine Jones scored eight consecutive points and Brian Cook made a 16-foot basket to cut the 76er lead to 91-78 with 7:47 to play.

But the effort faded from there and Jones became part of a highlight clip when Andre Iguodala dunked over him after an alley-oop pass from Chris Webber with 2:28 to play. Webber had five points.