LAKERS NOTEBOOK: BERTKA ENJOYED A GRAND OLD WIN.

Byline: Howard Beck Daily News Staff Writer

As it always is, the latest installment of the Bill Bertka era was a short one. But the longtime Lakers assistant needed just one game to put himself into the NBA record books.

In coaching the Lakers' 115-100 victory over the Clippers on Thursday, the 71-year-old Bertka became the oldest person to coach a game in league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Orlando Magic head coach Chuck Daly, 68, had held the record.

Bertka, who has worked in relative obscurity as a 26-year assistant coach in the NBA, was pleased with his record for the ages.

``Not bad. I'll take it!'' a surprised Bertka said after a hearty laugh.

And if that's his legacy?

``That's fine with me.''

A Lakers assistant coach for 18 years, the personable Bertka also concluded, for now, his head coaching career with a .667 winning percentage (2-1).

``That's enough,'' he said.

Bertka contends his record should include the other 10 or so games in which he's subbed as a head coach - usually when a coach was sick or ejected - but the team counts only the three games in which there was a temporary vacancy, i.e. after someone was fired.

``But if they say 2-1, I guess that's a pretty good percentage,'' Bertka said. ``I wasn't very good in math.''

Turning serious, Bertka said that although he's never wanted to be a head coach, he cherished the chance to do it for one night - again.

``I always look at it like it might be my last,'' he said, ``so it becomes a special moment.''

Ouch report: Kobe Bryant was hampered by back spasms Thursday night and said he was recovering before Friday's game.

``I couldn't bend down,'' Bryant said. ``It's still a little sore, but I can bend down, move and cut.''

Clippers notes: The Clippers played without two of their big men Friday, as forward Maurice Taylor nursed a sprained right knee and Keith Closs nursed an apparent attitude problem.

Taylor was injured in the third quarter of Thursday's game against the Lakers, and is day to day. An MRI performed Friday morning was negative. Closs did not attend the game, because of what the team called ``conduct detrimental to the team.''

All things Worm: With Dennis Rodman in Lakers gear and Scottie Pippen in Houston Rockets pinstripes, the third piece of the Chicago Bulls triad will reportedly be in-house Sunday too. Michael Jordan is rumored to be attending as a guest of Jack Nicholson. NBA commissioner David Stern could also be in attendance.

Rodman inherited Nick Van Exel's old locker next to Travis Knight's, which pushed rookie Ruben Patterson to the other side of the room. But don't read anything into it - the staff provided Rodman with that slot because it was the furthest from other media focal points, namely the lockers of Shaquille O'Neal, Eddie Jones and Kobe Bryant, and would create less of a traffic jam.