‘Cats and 13 Are Bad Luck for the Lakers

Where once there were habits of deep playoff runs and annual victory parades snaking through downtown L.A., there is now less palatable, less celebratory behavior by the Lakers, who are suddenly in the business of ending other teams’ losing streaks.

Two nights after allowing the Indiana Pacers to halt a six-game skid, the Lakers were drilled by one of their former players and kindly let the Charlotte Bobcats end a 13-game drought.

Jumaine Jones, traded by the Lakers to the Bobcats in October for a second-round draft pick, had a career-high 31 points, and Charlotte stunned the Lakers, 112-102, Friday at Bobcats Arena.

Playing without Lamar Odom, the Lakers had an abysmal showing against the team with the worst record in the league, turning the ball over a season-high 24 times and giving little thought to defense, particularly in the first quarter, when the Bobcats scored 40 points.

Friday marked the first time the second-year franchise ever led from start to finish without relinquishing the lead in their 130-game history.

Making matter worse for the Lakers, Chris Mihm, perhaps the team’s second-most consistent player in recent weeks, slipped out of the locker room and into an adjacent X-ray room after the game. He was diagnosed with a mild to moderate right shoulder sprain after getting fouled by Bobcat center Primoz Brezec with 2:25 to play. He will be re-evaluated today.

Kobe Bryant had 35 points on 12-of-18 shooting, along with nine rebounds, five assists and seven turnovers, and was stymied by several half-court traps. When he was able to get through and find open teammates, he wasn’t thrilled by the rest of the team’s making only 20 of 56 shots (35.7%).

“Yeah, it’s tough,” said Bryant, who was 0 for 3 from the field in the fourth quarter. “I expect those shots to go down. They didn’t fall for us tonight. Hopefully they’ll fall for us next game.”

Odom sat out because of torn rib cartilage, an injury with a fairly unpredictable timetable that could keep him out for another game, or perhaps several more. Devean George was inserted into the starting lineup and had 12 points on two-of-nine shooting.

The loss was the latest whiff of trouble for a team put through a two-hour film session Thursday afternoon, a day after being hammered in the locker room by an irritated Phil Jackson for losing to Peja Stojakovic and a host of Indiana Pacer reserves.

The Lakers were thoroughly unimpressive in the first quarter, committing nine turnovers and allowing the Bobcats to make 13 of 21 shots (61.9%) on the way to a 40-25 lead. It was the most points given up by the Lakers in a quarter this season.

“Playing bad defense,” Bryant said.

There were other errors as well, including Sasha Vujacic’s fouling Raymond Felton on a half-court heave at the end of the first quarter. Felton made only one of three free throws, slightly softening the mistake.

Jones, who was averaging 7.8 points and was recently inserted into the Bobcats’ starting lineup, took some “sweet revenge,” to use Jackson’s words.

“We deserve that,” Jackson said. “He was a player that we had no idea how good a player he was.”

Jones, who came into the Laker locker room afterward to have Bryant sign a jersey and basketball, said his effort had nothing to do with vengeance.

“It was a fluke man,” he said. “It was a fluke.”

But he also said he was surprised by the trade.

“It was a shock to me because I went to training camp, and as soon as I get back, they tell me I’m traded,” said Jones, who averaged 7.6 points last season.

The Lakers would have to win the last three games of the trip to meet Jackson’s hope of a 4-3 swing.

“You’ve got to come with your clip full, man,” Bryant said. “Whatever it takes. You just can’t complain about it, don’t whine about it, no hanging your head over it.”

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Bad times

A selection of embarrassing Laker defeats:

Feb. 3 at Memphis, 112-102

* Bobcats end 13-game losing streak.

Jan. 19 at Sacramento, 118-109 (OT)

* Odom charges, late lead disappears.

Jan. 11 at Portland, 113-103

* Trail Blazers were 10-24 coming in.

Dec. 18 vs. Houston, 76-74

* No Yao, but Lakers shoot 35.2%

Nov. 14 at Memphis, 85-73

* Jackson calls his team “pathetic.”

Los Angeles Times