Farmar makes them whole

The Lakers actually have a second unit again.

Their dependable batch of reserves has officially healed, the latest symbolic band-aid removed when Jordan Farmar played Sunday against San Antonio.

Farmar had been out since Dec. 19 because of torn cartilage in his left knee, an injury that required surgery last month and turned him into a spectator for 17 games. He was supposed to return about three weeks from now, but his rehabilitation progressed better than expected.

He played 17 minutes and had 14 points and two assists in the 99-85 win over the Spurs.

“I’m ready to play,” proclaimed Farmar, who was averaging 7.9 points and 2.4 assists in 19.6 minutes a game before getting hurt.

“This is what I love. This is what I do. It kills me to watch them out there having so much fun and me having to sit in the back and watch with ice on my leg, hooked up to a machine.”

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson had said Saturday that Farmar needed more practice time, but Farmar checked into Sunday’s game to start the second quarter, looking as healthy as could be.

“The medical community really felt like Tuesday was the game and we pointed toward Tuesday [against Charlotte],” Jackson said. “He was lobbying for a chance to play.”

He got it.

With Farmar in charge, the Lakers’ reserves outscored those of the Spurs, 23-13, through three quarters as the Lakers took a 79-66 lead.

It was reminiscent of the unit last month, a high-flying bunch also consisting of Trevor Ariza, Lamar Odom and Sasha Vujacic. But Farmar went down and then injuries sidelined Odom and Vujacic for brief periods.

All 14 Lakers are now healthy -- not to mention that Farmar’s return immediately eases the burden on Derek Fisher, whose minutes had been on the rise in the last five weeks.

Reunion time?

Five years after their well-documented breakup, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant might be teammates again.

Bryant has already been selected to start in the All-Star game, and O’Neal, now with the Phoenix Suns, is expected to make the team as a reserve center, which would be announced with the rest of the Western Conference reserves Thursday.

“I’d love to see Shaquille and Kobe have a chance to play together. That would be fun,” said Jackson, who will coach the West All-Stars. “I think people would like seeing that.”

O’Neal, 36, has experienced a rebirth this season, averaging 17.8 points and 9.1 rebounds before Sunday, though he has sat out some games in back-to-back situations.

Houston’s Yao Ming was elected starting center for the West.

Jackson was not optimistic that Andrew Bynum would beat out a list of other centers including O’Neal for the Feb. 15 game in Phoenix. All-Star teams typically carry only two centers per conference.

“I haven’t seen him named on other people’s lists of personnel that they would consider for the reserves,” Jackson said. “But I hope he gets named. I hope he has a couple mentions in the coaches’ picks.”

Said Bynum: “I’m making a late push, but barring injury, I’ll get better progressively and be able to compete [for a spot] next year.”

The starters are chosen by fans and the reserves are determined by a coaches’ vote.

Etc.

The Lakers played their first Sunday afternoon game of the season, but Jackson didn’t think the earlier tip-off was a big deal. “Other than Lamar being late as usual, I don’t think there’s anything different,” he said. . . . San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich wore a large bandage on the right side of his head Sunday because of a procedure to have skin cancer removed.

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mike.bresnahan@latimes.com