LAKERS INSIDE LOOK: MALONE WON'T YIELD TO INJURY LAKERS FORWARD VIEWS SPRAINED ANKLE AS JUST THE LATEST ADVERSITY.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

Karl Malone said only a gunshot to head would have prevented him from playing Saturday night. From the looks of some of his first-quarter shots, some time of marksmanship training seemed in order.

Malone attempted to play with a sprained ankle in Game 1 of the first-round series against Houston and looked alternately aggressive and gimpy in 26 minutes of the Lakers' 72-71 win over the Rockets at Staples Center.

In a game during which the Lakers struggled to find any offensive rhythm, Malone didn't help. He said he tweaked the ankle on a rebound early in the first quarter and that the injury prevented him from getting into a groove, but Malone still attempted 14 shots and made only three.

Malone finished with seven points but did manage nine defensive rebounds and 11 total rebounds.

``Sometimes when you have an injury, you find yourself hesitating,'' said Malone, who started the game even though he had been limited in practice leading up to the game.

``I tweaked it right off the bat, but I need to suck it up. I kind of came to the conclusion that it should be this way, that the way this season has gone, this shouldn't go down any other way.''

It wasn't all bad for Malone. Despite his offensive limitations, Malone managed an above-average effort on defense against the Rockets' big men - Kelvin Cato, Maurice Taylor and Clarence Weatherspoon.

Cato attempted only seven shots in 27 minutes and scored six points. Taylor was plagued by foul trouble and was limited to 11 points in 16 minutes.

``Even if I'm not shooting well, I still need to find ways to do other things,'' Malone said.

The game started well enough for Malone, who hit a 20-foot jumper in the first four minutes. But he missed his next seven shots from the field and was one of the major factors why the Lakers were unable to pull away despite their strong defense.

Malone never had to leave the game because of the injury, but it slowed him noticeably, particularly under the basket. He admitted the injury played a part in his struggle but said he expects more of himself in Game 2.

``The key for me is the 10- to-15-foot jump shot,'' Malone said. ``I need to make that. I have to be aggressive and I can't let (the Rockets) have free rein to just play offense.''

The Lakers' other injured players fared slightly better. Rick Fox missed all three of his shots in 20 minutes but played solid defense against Jim Jackson for most of his time. Derek Fisher played 13 minutes and hit a crucial 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. and Devean George had three points in 12 minutes.

Rich Hammond, [phone]

rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Karl Malone (11), shown going for a rebound against Houston's Kelvin Cato, started the Lakers' playoff opener despite a sprained ankle.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer