LAKERS GOOD ENOUGH CLIPPERS WASTE 35 FROM BRAND LAKERS 91, CLIPPERS 89.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

The all-important titles will have to wait until their three future Hall of Famers return from injury, whenever that is.

For now, the Lakers will settle for just being Los Angeles' best team for the first time in six weeks, whatever that's worth.

The Lakers withstood a huge effort by the Clippers' Elton Brand, who scored a season-high 35 points and had 20 rebounds, and a furious late rally led by Marko Jaric to escape with a 91-89 victory in front of 18,997 at Staples Center on Saturday night.

With 17.9 seconds left, the Clippers had a chance to win on their final possession, but Corey Maggette lost the ball on a drive through the lane. Kenyon Dooling recovered it, but his desperation 3-pointer over Gary Payton fell short.

That served to restore order to the crosstown series, in which the Clippers could boast better health and a better record since early December. The Clippers, losers of 22 of the past 25 against the Lakers, even were one-point favorites.

Slava Medvedenko, growing more confident with his shot as the game went on, scored 20 points to lead the Lakers, and Derek Fisher hit three critical 3-pointers in the second half. Payton scored 15 points and added 15 assists.

The Clippers, who trailed by 11 inside the final five minutes, cut the Lakers' lead to 83-80 with 2:55 remaining. Jaric (15 points) hit back- to-back 3-pointers as the Lakers went cold from the free-throw line.

But Medvedenko hit a 3-pointer, Maggette fumbled the ball out of bounds and Payton scored on a drive to give the Lakers some breathing room at 89-82. Even so, the Clippers, shorthanded without Quentin Richardson and Bobby Simmons, never quit.

In the final minute, Jaric hit a jumper, Brand blocked Devean George's drive and Jaric scored on another drive to make it 91-89. Payton missed his 19th and final shot of the game, setting up the final possession.

It was a modest victory for the Lakers, who fell behind by 13 after an atrocious first quarter. But it was a small step after losing by 20 the previous night at Sacramento and playing with a makeshift lineup that included Jamal Sampson (nine points, 10 rebounds).

The news became even grimmer for the Lakers at the end of the first quarter, when the team released an update on the conditions of Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Shaquille O'Neal after the three were examined by team doctor Steve Lombardo.

With continued soreness in his strained calf, O'Neal is expected to miss at least another week. Malone will be sidelined two more weeks, and Bryant another week or two. The only uncertainty is whether any of the three will travel to Memphis, Dallas and Utah this week.

Before the game, coach Phil Jackson spoke of Fisher getting more comfortable with his role coming off the bench. Fisher hit arguably the Lakers' two biggest shots of the night, 3-pointers to close the third quarter and open the fourth. He also hit a 3-pointer with 5:30 remaining as the shot clock expired, putting the Lakers ahead 77-67.

The victory reversed a disappointing trend for the Lakers. After starting the season 18-3, they actually had posted a worse record than Clippers since Dec. 9.

The Lakers lost their Big Three, the Clippers worked Brand back from a stress fracture and one team has gone 10-10 while the other has gone 7-9. Included in that was the Lakers' 101-98 loss to the Clippers on Jan. 4, a game in which Brand scored a season-high 30 points and had 15 rebounds.

Early on Saturday, the Lakers looked as though they would be embarrassed in addition to losing. The team gave up a 17-2 run and ended the first quarter trailing 30-17. Kareem Rush committed a charge, Brian Cook a lane violation and Medvedenko slumped his shoulders after missing an easy jumper.

But the Lakers buckled down on defense after that, giving up just 59 points through the final three quarters.

Ross Siler, [phone]

ross.siler(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Gary Payton gets his finger caught in the drawstring of his shorts Saturday during the Lakers' win.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

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