[0] NO ROSE GARDEN; PORTLAND HANDS VISITING LAKERS SECOND STRAIGHT LOSS : PORTLAND 105, LAKERS 99.

Byline: Howard Beck Daily News Staff Writer

The Lakers are still doing that streak thing, only now it's in the other direction. The team that started with 11 straight wins is now losing consecutive games, for the first time this season.

Following their dismal performance Sunday at home, the Lakers took their recent struggles north and dropped a 105-99 decision to the Trail Blazers, recording their first two-game losing streak of the season.

More than that, the Lakers extended a longer, more annoying streak - their two-season struggle at the Rose Garden, where they have now lost three straight regular-season games.

``Well, if this had been a movie, a lot of people would have left halfway through it, I think,'' Lakers coach Del Harris said of the often-unaesthetic matchup. ``Both teams did struggle to make it a close game, if not a good game.''

For the Lakers, it was another night of too little, too late. They trailed Portland for most of the first three quarters, much as they trailed Cleveland during the loss one night earlier. And once again, a fourth-quarter surge fell short.

Trailing by nine with 2:24 left in the game, the Lakers mounted another comeback drive, with a 7-2 run. Nick Van Exel hit a 3-pointer and a layup, and Kobe Bryant cut it to 99-95 with a driving dunk with 32 seconds left.

That left the Lakers having to intentionally foul, and Portland was somewhat charitable with its foul shots. Alvin Williams made 1 of 2, then the Lakers answered with a Robert Horry dunk, and it was back to three points.

Another foul later, Rick Brunson made 1 of 2 free throws, making it 101-97 with 19.4 seconds left.

Bryant made two free throws to cut it to 101-99, but with 11.2 seconds left, that small deficit posed a much larger obstacle. Van Exel intentionally fouled Brunson, and this time the Trail Blazers left no doubts, as the recently signed CBA graduate hit both free throws to put it out of reach. Brunson hit two more foul shots for the final margin.

For most of the first month of the season, the Lakers didn't have to scrap back so often. Now it seems like every night they're giving up the early leads and spending the rest of the game trying to come back.

``We don't play like we're in first place. We don't play like we're the best team in the league,'' Van Exel said. ``Now we have to get down (to a scoring deficit) before we step it up.''

The Blazers, equals of the Lakers' best attributes - young, athletic and quick, gave the visitors fits from the opening tipoff.

It started slowly, the Lakers down 20-17 at the end of the first quarter. At the half, the Blazers held a 51-44 lead.

Then the Lakers decided to make it a game, albeit a short-lived one.

They opened the third quarter with a spark reminiscent of mid-November and it appeared they had spent halftime watching films of their old selves, the ones with all the winning streaks.

They stormed the Blazers with a 9-0 run to open the second half, capped by a Van Exel 3-pointer and a Jones bucket that gave the Lakers a 55-53 lead - and, it seemed, the momentum.

It ended faster than you can say, ``Rider.'' The teams battled back and forth over the next several minutes, trading leads five times. Then it was all Blazers for the remainder of the period. Leading 65-64 with 4:11 in the third, Portland went on a 13-3 run to finish the quarter. J.R. ``Call Me Isiah'' Rider finished the quarter with nine points.

Harris, noting the two teams' youth and similar styles before the game, said this matchup could grow into a sizzling rivalry for years to come.

``It should be two teams that will be battling one another for some time,'' he said. ``Of course, it's going to be more than a two-man party. Obviously, Phoenix is going to be in that.''

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PHOTO (color) Portland's Rasheed Wallace and his teammates had Derek Fisher and the Lakers covered on Monday night in Portland.

Associated Press