LAKERS FIND PERFECT CURE; WINLESS CLIPPERS ARE TARGET IN BLOWOUT GAME AT THE POND : LAKERS 115 CLIPPERS 100.

Byline: Howard Beck Daily News Staff Writer

What now qualifies as news in Lakerland: A day passed without anyone being fired, any new trade rumors surfacing, any players showing up in drag or anyone holding a press conference. And more importantly, without the Lakers losing another game.

Team Turmoil took the court again Thursday night and none too soon. On the heels of the team firing coach Del Harris and hiring cross-dressing forward Dennis Rodman, what the Lakers really needed was a game and a win, a blowout if possible.

Which is why God invented the Clippers. The Lakers themselves knew that a turnaround was no farther than their date at the Pond.

``I told Corie (Blount), `Boy, I feel sorry for the Clippers today,' '' Eddie Jones said before the Lakers righted their ship with a 115-100 rout of their neighbors. Just what a team spinning into the abyss needed.

``You do need a game like this to try to get some cohesiveness, execution,'' Jones said.

And if the Lakers are still short on either characteristic, they can try again tonight, when the Clippers come to the Forum.

Longtime assistant coach Bill Bertka was the beneficiary of Thursday night's win, but he'll soon give way to an interim head coach, either Larry Drew or Kurt Rambis, both current assistants. And Kobe Bryant, for one, believes the change will be positive.

Admitting he and other players sometimes tuned out the professorial Harris, Bryant said the Lakers need a more personable coach.

``I think we definitely could use a breath of fresh air,'' Bryant said. ``I think we get that with Dennis, and now we get another one (with a new coach).''

``Del is from the old school, and that's not a style that a lot of players today respond to,'' Bryant said. ``He's more X's and O's, more student of the game, more numbers, more statistics. When you look at modern coaches, it's more personal.''

It wouldn't be accurate, however, to say the Lakers disrespected Harris or failed to respond to his direction.

``We responded to it, I think, but with the young team that we have we might respond to a modern style coach (more),'' Bryant said.

For Thursday, the one calling the shots was as old-school as they come, the 71-year-old Bertka, acting as head coach until Rambis or Drew is hired. And Bertka enjoyed an easy win as the Lakers shot 53.8 percent and got double-figure scoring from six players, led by Shaquille O'Neal's 19.

It was the kind of victory that, had it come Monday in Denver or Tuesday in Vancouver, might have saved Harris' job.

Bryant said it was probably unfair to judge Harris on two bad weeks, ``but the burden had to come down on somebody.'' He said he supported management's decision.

But Eddie Jones said a change in coaches won't fix what ails the Lakers.

``Del wasn't the problem in my mind,'' Jones said. ``I always respected Del.''

``I hate to continue to say it, but we all have to look in the mirror,'' Jones said. ``Ninety percent of the problem is on us. We have to go out there and play the games. . . . If you don't play with dignity and heart and emotion, you're going to lose three games in a row, and we showed that we just don't compete for four quarters. We think we can turn it off and on whenever we want to because we have so much talent.''

It took a while for the Lakers to turn anything once again on Thursday, but the scoring burst did come. After a slow start, they overcame an 18-point half by the Clippers' Maurice Taylor and took a 47-40 halftime lead on the strength of Shaquille O'Neal's 15 points and teamwide 50 percent shooting.

The Lakers blew the game open with a 35-26 third quarter, getting 10 points from Elden Campbell and nine from Jones, while the Clippers lost Taylor's services midway through the period. Taylor sprained his right knee and did not return. He's scheduled for an MRI this morning.

Derek Harper said the victory helped put the team back at ease after a rough week.

``I don't think it washes it away,'' he said, ``but it puts it to rest for a while. . . . The rest of the season we're going to be under the microscope.''

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Box

Photo: (1--Color) Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal scores two of his 19 points over the Clippers' Lorenzen Wright.

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press

(2--Color) Lakers owner Jerry Buss shares a laugh with acting head coach Bill Bertka after the win.

Victoria Arocho/Associated Press

Box: GAME RECAP