[0] Y2-STREAK: LAKERS END '99 BY WINNING 10 GAMES IN A ROW LAKERS 103, PHOENIX 87.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

For their pre-Y2K party, the Lakers adopted the spirit and lingo of the new-millennium hoopla. Their philosophy: Y Not 10?

As in 10 consecutive wins to close out the 10th year of the 10th decade of the 10th century of the old millennium.

Like everyone else, the Lakers had to navigate a few bugs in the system, but they overcame their own rash of human errors and pulled away for a 103-87 victory over the injury-depleted Phoenix Suns at Staples Center on Wednesday.

The Lakers closed out the year having won 17 of their past 18 games, with a winning streak that matched their best effort of last season.

Yet they were not exactly in a party-like-it's-1999 mood afterward.

"I think we finished the year off the way we wanted to," said coach Phil Jackson, before quickly adding, "I wasn't totally pleased with this ballgame."

He had good reason. Twenty turnovers, many of them careless, let the Suns stay close throughout, as the Lakers squandered a series of double-digit leads.

Phoenix was playing without three starters - Tom Gugliotta, Penny Hardaway and Shawn Marion - yet it took a 3-point play from Shaquille O'Neal and a late scoring burst from Glen Rice to put Phoenix away in the closing minutes.

O'Neal's impressive line included 27 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists and five blocked shots. Kobe Bryant added 18 points, six rebounds and six assists as the Lakers enjoyed one of their better passing nights.

Oddly, they also enjoyed one of their worst, and the Suns cashed in the miscues for 18 points, leaving the Lakers anything but happy.

"We have been a little frustrated," Derek Fisher said, "especially during the game, during certain stretches of play where we've either allowed the lead to be taken down from double figures to single digits or just making life really hard (on ourselves). That's something we've always been really good at, but we really don't like it.

"There have been nights where we come in (the locker room), and it seems as if we lost, but that's just because I think everybody understands that this season is not a sprint or a quick race. It's a long season. We have a lot of games to go and everybody's on our side and fans are screaming right now, but it may change later."

The Suns got 24 points from Clifford Robinson and 18 from Rex Chapman and scratched to within six points of the lead with four minutes remaining.

Then O'Neal finished them off by himself. He completed a 3-point play with 3:46 left to make it 93-84, then suffocated the Suns at the other end by swatting away two Robinson jumpers in five seconds.

O'Neal went to the bench with 2:55 to go, and Rice, who scored just two points in the first half, took over from there. He scored seven points in less than a minute, capped by a back-breaking 3-pointer to make it 100-86 with 1:08 left. Rice finished with 15 points.

Ron Harper, who rediscovered his shooting touch earlier this week against Dallas, kept up the pace with 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Slowly, steadily, the Lakers seem to be heading in the right direction, minus the occasional in-game missteps.

O'Neal already had 16 points and 12 rebounds by halftime, but the Lakers committed 10 turnovers and had to settle for a modest 57-52 lead. And the margin was only that big because Rick Fox hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

But 10 wins and an NBA-best 25-5 record is as good a way to ring in a new year as any.

"We're happy with winning 10 in a row, it's a good feeling," he said. "I think we really feel like we've got some momentum. We're going into New Year's on the right spell. Now we have to stop and start over again after a break as long as this (five days), it's going to be like taking time off and restarting ourselves."

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Kobe Bryant nearly fakes himself out as he drives past Phoenix's Jason Kidd on Wednesday.

(2) Not even big Oliver Miller (8) had enough bulk to stop a determined Shaquille O'Neal (34).

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

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