LAKERS NOTEBOOK: LAKERS CLOSE TO BETTER SEED.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

The strain of a tortured season had left Phil Jackson with strikingly modest goals last week, when his team prepared for a final push and an important test against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Lakers had the chance to strike a blow against the NBA's winningest team and regain some dignity, perhaps even make a move up the seedings chart if they could find a little momentum. But Jackson, true to form, said he was more concerned his team be healthy for the playoffs and insisted he wouldn't ``jeopardize anybody with minutes'' in the final weeks just to pursue a better seeding.

Charmed champions that they are, the Lakers might get both the good health and the higher seeding, anyway. Victories at Dallas and Memphis lifted them back into sixth place, and when Minnesota lost to Phoenix on Saturday, the Lakers were again within striking distance of fifth.

The Timberwolves (47-30) are just one game ahead in the loss column and have a tough game against Portland today. The Lakers benefit no matter who wins, because the ever-fragile Trail Blazers (47-28), in fourth, are not out of range, either.

So the Lakers, so bored by the regular season they almost forgot to play it, now have a short schedule and something concrete to pursue. That has generally been a good thing.

``They're good at short focus,'' Jackson said, ``and when they've got a direct goal in mind, it's great. They've got multiple teams to play in the course of an NBA season, (and) sometimes our concentration isn't great.''

--Finish line: Here's the Lakers' guide for moving up in the standings over the final six games:

Because the Lakers won the season series against Utah, they need only to tie the Jazz to win the sixth seed. The remaining schedule slightly favors the Lakers.

Utah has to play the West's top three teams - Dallas and San Antonio at home, Sacramento on the road. Utah also has a home game against Houston and road games at Seattle and Golden State.

The Lakers play four of their final six games at Staples Center - against Phoenix, Dallas, Sacramento and Denver. They have road games at Portland and Golden State.

Catching Minnesota is possible, but the Timberwolves have a soft schedule after today. Their final four opponents are lottery-bound teams: Seattle, the Clippers, Chicago and Memphis.

Catching Portland would require a colossal collapse by the Blazers, but that's not hard to envision given last week's locker-room brawl. The Lakers can deal the Blazers a loss - and win the season series - when they play at the Rose Garden one week from today.

If the Lakers go undefeated, they still would need Portland to lose two more games. After today, the Blazers have a home game against Phoenix and road games against Houston, San Antonio, Memphis and the Clippers.

--Body movement: Janerro Pargo might have solidified a playoff roster spot with his sturdy play against Dallas and Memphis.

The hustling rookie drew praise for his scrappy defense against the Mavericks' Steve Nash and the Grizzlies' Jason Williams, and he hit key 3- pointers in the fourth quarter of both games.

--Also: Kobe Bryant's sudden scoring drought has knocked his average below 30 points, to 29.9 per game. If he turns it on again, Bryant and Orlando's Tracy McGrady can become the first pair to average 30 points since Karl Malone and Michael Jordan in 1990. Bryant needs 185 points over the final six games (30.8 per game).

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LAKERS vs. PHOENIX

- Howard Beck