DEADLOCK IN THE WEST VICTORY OVER HOUSTON TIES LAKERS WITH SACRAMENTO ATOP CONFERENCE LAKERS 93, HOUSTON 85.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

At the conclusion of three months of MRIs and stitches, drama and doubt, the Lakers walked off their home court Thursday night, patted each others' heads, smacked each others' hands and reintroduced themselves to first place.

With seven games to play, the Lakers are exactly where they want to be, and also nowhere near where they expected to be - tied for the best record in the Western Conference and well-positioned to stay there, the result of their own late-season surge coinciding with the Sacramento Kings' late-season plunge.

Both trends continued Thursday night, the Lakers sealing a 93-85 victory over the Houston Rockets at Staples Center just hours after the Kings lost in Dallas, and by 10:30 p.m., they were holding hands atop the West.

``We're proud of ourselves,'' Kobe Bryant said. ``We've climbed up a pretty steep hill.''

The last few yards were notably difficult, filled as they were by Yao Ming's wingspan and Cuttino Mobley's long-range shooting. The Rockets didn't fade away until the final two minutes, when Shaquille O'Neal threw down a dunk off Karl Malone's lob from the corner, then swatted away Steve Francis' shot at the other end.

Bryant scored 26 points, matching Mobley, his counterpart, but also had six turnovers to go with seven rebounds and four assists. O'Neal had 18 points and eight rebounds while holding Yao to six points. Karl Malone had 20 points, 14 rebounds and six assists and led another spirited defensive effort.

There have been better-looking victories during this 10-game winning streak. The Lakers shot 37 percent from the field and committed 21 turnovers. They won instead with defense, pouncing on loose balls, taking a 58-35 rebounding edge and collecting 15 steals.

The difference between Game 1 of this streak and Game 10 is the shift in focus from outscoring opponents to stopping them.

``Basically, since Karl has gotten back, we've started playing better defense, and now we're playing good defense,'' coach Phil Jackson said. ``Once you get confidence in your defense and know you can stop teams, you put your weight in the defensive end.''

By the time the Lakers took the court, the Mavericks had already sent the Kings to a 127-117 defeat, and the night's agenda was set.

The Lakers hadn't occupied first place since Jan. 2, when they had a half-game lead over the Kings. As recently as March 15, they were six games out and had practically conceded the race.

``To be honest with you, we did,'' Malone said. ``Then, all of a sudden, you get to watching a couple of these (Kings losses). ... You say, `Dang, we might have a shot at this.' ''

Veterans of past Laker runs and past Sacramento collapses - and there have been many - will tell you they saw this coming. An hour before tipoff, Rick Fox strolled through the locker room, glanced at a TV showing the Kings down 65-50 and smiled wide.

``Y'all are acting surprised,'' Fox said to reporters. ``Why y'all acting surprised? Go back in your notebooks and see what we said four weeks ago.''

The Lakers and Kings meet once more, April 11 at Arco Arena, in a game that could decide the West's top seed.

``I think it's an encouraging sign, an obvious forceful move up the ladder, up the standings,'' Jackson said of the Lakers' late charge.

Houston is virtually locked into the seventh slot in the West but has played like a title contender in every game against the Lakers this season. Yao has been the key, and Jackson said no center in 10 years, since Hakeem Olajuwon in his prime, has given O'Neal so much difficulty.

So the game plan was altered. O'Neal helped teammates less and stuck with Yao, and the result was a 3-for-15 night by the Rockets' genial giant - by far his worst game in two seasons against O'Neal.

``The other times we played them I tried to help out too much, and he would get deep position and he would just get the ball and turn,'' O'Neal said. ``I kind of had to stay into him. ... I'm there in his face when he's shooting, but he still has 6, 7 inches over me. Big dude, man.''

Howard Beck, [phone]

howard.beck(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Shaquille O'Neal (34) misses a dunk over Houston's Yao Ming in the third quarter Thursday.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

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