Parker Gets His Game Back in Gear

The “Smushcalade” is a few days from being street ready, but its owner has returned to action.

Smush Parker, after several consecutive “Where is he?” games, had 16 points, three steals and a stirring dunk over 6-foot-10 Vitaly Potapenko in the Lakers’ 108-96 victory Thursday over the Seattle SuperSonics.

Parker had averaged only eight points over his last six games before making six of 10 shots, three of five from three-point range, against the SuperSonics.

“I definitely feel like I got my confidence back up,” Parker said. “I was kind of in a slump, I guess you could say. I wasn’t in the offense as much. I wasn’t hitting my shots as much. It felt good to get a couple of jump shots go down....”

Altogether, it has been a good week for Parker, who received word that his 2004 Cadillac Escalade, which he dubbed the Smushcalade, was almost ready to be driven after undergoing a face-lift. Parker, whose Laker contract does not become guaranteed until Jan. 10, had been driving an economy car before Devean George lent him a sport-utility vehicle.

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Forward Brian Cook, inserted into the starting lineup Thursday in place of injured Kwame Brown, nearly quadrupled his scoring average with a 17-point outburst.

Cook also had seven rebounds and three assists in a career-high 39 minutes.

“We know what kind of a player he is,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “Of course it’s no surprise to us the way he played that ballgame. The big key with Brian is to hang in there as far as the physical demands of this game. Whether he can play big minutes or not, that will be a question for him as far as a player.”

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Kobe Bryant, bothered by a tender ankle, was only a part-time participant in Friday’s practice, although he is expected to play Sunday against New Jersey.... Forward Luke Walton, who has not played this season because of a strained hamstring and a sore hip, may also play.

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Mark Haas, a senior broadcast journalism student at USC, will be presented the 2006 Chick Hearn Memorial Scholarship before Sunday’s game, on what would have been Hearn’s 89th birthday.

The annual scholarship is endowed by the Lakers and donations from fans in memory of Hearn, the Hall of Fame broadcaster who died in 2002.

Hearn’s widow, Marge, has announced plans to expand the scholarship to two students annually. Donations may be sent to USC Annenberg Chick Hearn Fund; USC Annenberg School for Communication, 3502 Watt Way; Los Angeles, 90089-0281.