Zeroing In on Problem

The Lakers finally found a way to beat Detroit, and also took it to their old friend Shaquille O’Neal on his most recent pass through Staples Center, but they haven’t figured out how to beat San Antonio and Phoenix since the O’Neal trade.

They are now 0-12 against the Spurs and Suns since O’Neal moved to South Beach -- average margin of loss: 10.5 points -- with another chance tonight against the Spurs.

Tied with New Orleans for seventh in the Western Conference, the Lakers are in better shape than a year ago, but to go anywhere in the playoffs -- and to help guarantee such a thing will exist for them in a month -- they might want to win a game against two of the West’s elite.

Four of their final 20 games are against the Spurs and Suns, two against each.

“Right now, while we’re building, they’re making us pay the price,” Laker Coach Phil Jackson said. “It’s time for this team to put some things together against either one of these teams. We should be able to win a game or so right now every year against them.”

Jackson has seen this play out before.

When the “Bad Boys” were carving out a championship niche in Detroit, the Chicago Bulls were playing catch-up before turning the tables with 19 consecutive regular-season wins from 1993 to ’97.

“I can remember a sequence in time when Detroit was our nemesis in Chicago,” Jackson said with a smile. “We finally ended up getting their number.”

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Aside from the Lakers’ moving up from the eighth spot, Wednesday’s win in New Orleans had its merits in at least one area, as the Lakers officially started to separate themselves from last season.

There’s still work to do to erase the aftertaste of a 34-48 debacle, but they began the last 21 games of their schedule with a victory, a departure from the 2-19 to close out last season, when they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1994.

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TONIGHT

at San Antonio, 5:30 PST, Ch. 9

Site -- SBC Center.

Radio -- 570, 1330.

Records -- Lakers 32-30, Spurs 48-13.

Record vs. Spurs -- 0-2.

Update -- The Spurs are playing for the fourth time in five nights, including consecutive games after winning, 117-93, at Phoenix on Thursday night.