Jackson Doesn’t Take Clinching for Granted

The Lakers can clinch a playoff spot tonight, an event they never came close to achieving last season and a possibility they downplayed Thursday, their eventual seeding in the Western Conference seemingly just as important to them.

The Lakers are in the playoffs if they beat Portland and Utah loses to New Orleans tonight, although they continue to keep an eye on eighth-place Sacramento, lingering one game behind them.

A playoff berth ensures they won’t miss playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1975 and 1976, but ...

“We’ll be glad that there’s that pressure off,” Coach Phil Jackson said Thursday, “but we really haven’t in any degree felt that there’s not going to be pressure on us, because we want to finish as high as we possibly can in the rankings. We’re certainly not going to relax because of that.”

Kobe Bryant, who has won three championships and has played in four NBA Finals, seemed amused when asked if clinching a playoff spot was worth celebrating.

“No, not really,” he said. “I think it’s a great step for us, being that we didn’t make the playoffs last year and were able to bounce back. It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s not something we’re going to be celebrating.”

The Trail Blazers have the league’s worst record, but the Lakers have lost two of three to them this season.

“It’s difficult for our team to focus on them because they play 10 guys, they’re starting different people, they’re a talented young team,” Jackson said.

“They could be two different teams in different nights.”

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Center Chris Mihm practiced for the first time since severely spraining his right ankle almost five weeks ago against Seattle.

He said he hoped to play Sunday against Phoenix, but Jackson said Wednesday’s regular-season finale against New Orleans was a more probable return date.

Mihm, averaging 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds, sometimes feels pain when he cuts, but he understands the need to get back.

“I think it is important just to get out on that floor and get that feel again,” he said. “Nothing simulates live-game activity, even out there in practice.”

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Jackson has said he would rather play Dallas in the first round because the Lakers were 2-1 against the Mavericks this season. Then the Mavericks lost to Golden State after almost losing to the Clippers, furthering in Jackson’s mind that San Antonio was the team to beat in the West.

“I thought Dallas was playing great ball and they’ve struggled the last couple games,” he said. “Teams go in that flow -- they go up and down -- and right now San Antonio has kind of recovered after having a little spell there where they lost games, had a tight schedule. They look to be odds-on favorite to win this conference.”

Jackson’s comments came before the Spurs lost at home to Orlando, 92-80, on Thursday.

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TONIGHT

vs. Portland, 7:30, FSN West

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 570, 1330.

Records -- Lakers 42-37, Trail Blazers 21-57.

Record vs. Trail Blazers -- 1-2.

Update -- The Trail Blazers have lost 15 of their last 16 games, but the Clippers needed two free throws by Cuttino Mobley with six seconds left to stave them off on Wednesday, 97-93.