AT LEAST, WE KNOW PLAYOFFS POSSIBLE.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

The Lakers played a rare Saturday night game at Staples Center, and if they didn't always look like ready-for-prime-time players, they did look like ready-for-the-playoffs players.

Of course, they have to get into the playoffs first.

But at least, after this week, we know they have it in them.

Wednesday: The Lakers give the Suns their first loss in Phoenix in a dozen games by turning back a rally early in the fourth quarter with Robert Horry rising up to help Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Friday: The Lakers beat the division-leading Kings in Sacramento by turning back a rally early in the fourth quarter with Rick Fox rising up to help Kobe and Shaq. Saturday: The Lakers beat the Jazz 99-87, pulling away after Utah wiped out their big lead in the third quarter, Fox hitting four consecutive shots in the fourth to help Kobe and Shaq.

Suddenly, the Lakers are winning the games champions win, the ones on the road, the ones against playoff-caliber teams, the ones where their wills are tested, the ones where they aren't at their best, the tough ones on back-to-back nights.

This means that many of us must adjust our assumptions about Phil Jackson's team, which had looked too old, too shallow, too unsure of itself to make a meaningful run at a fourth consecutive NBA title.

How many assumption adjustments is this, now?

``I think after the Dallas game,'' Jackson said of the Dec. 6 game where the Lakers trailed by 30 points and won, ``there was a natural assumption that we could rally, have that chemistry, find ways to win ballgames and provide miracle finishes and all those things that obviously weren't going to happen right at that time.''

After that confidence booster, the Lakers lost 6 of 9 games.

``Then we went through that period of time where we couldn't win games that were close, starting with the East Coast trip where we went to Minnesota (Dec. 17) and lost,'' Jackson continued. ``We went to Philadelphia and lost an overtime game (Dec. 20) we probably should have won.''

The Dallas game had led the Lakers to believe their class and experience would allow them to pull through in all the close games.

``(If we'd done that), our record would have completely turned around,'' Jackson said before Saturday's game. ``Last week we lost two games in the last minute, we lost a game in Houston where we had a lead at the end of the game. That's been consistently our problem.''

Houston, Golden State and New Jersey were last week. Phoenix, Sacramento and Utah were this week. The trend is good.

``I think now the focus has narrowed,'' Jackson said. ``It's not an 82-game season where, `Aw, we'll get it together sooner or later.' It's sooner rather than later that we have to get it together.''

January would have been viewed as a success in any normal season, which is to say any season in which the Lakers didn't start 11-19. They were four games over .500 (8-4) in January. They were four games over .500 (10-6) in January 2002. That seemed to be good enough in 2002.

If they climb into the Western Conference's top eight and make the playoffs, they probably will have to finish like champions. Houston holds the eighth spot right now with 25 wins and 20 losses. The Lakers are ninth at 22-23. If Houston keeps it up, it'll finish with 45 wins. The Lakers would have to go 24-13 the rest of the way to finish with 46. If the Lakers do that, they will have been 18 games over .500 (35-17) since the Christmas night loss to Sacramento. They were 18 games over .500 (38-20) after Christmas last season. That seemed to be good enough last season.

Suddenly, the questions about these Lakers - about Jackson's hold on the players' hearts and minds, about the coach's ability to adjust to desperate conditions, about the players' willingness to fight for their four-peat, about O'Neal's capacity for hard work after foot surgery, about the second string's talent - are looking less dire.

This is not the same as saying the Lakers will make the playoffs or will win another NBA title if they do.

It's saying they have it in them.

That's more than we knew last week.

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Photo:

Shaquille O'Neal, who had 21 points and 13 rebounds, gets pressured by Utah's Greg Ostertag in the first half Saturday.

Edna T. Simpson/Daily News