LAKERS TUNE OUT THE PAST; LONG-AWAITED VICTORY OVER JAZZ PROVIDES A PSYCHOLOGICAL LIFT : LAKERS 97, UTAH 89.

Byline: Howard Beck Daily News Staff Writer

A notorious tormentor of the Utah Jazz returned to the Delta Center on Sunday, and the locals recoiled at the site of the wormy fellow with the camouflage hair who does everything but bite the neighborhood Mailman.

But Dennis Rodman's biggest offense this day was slapping Karl Malone's butt. And while the Worm engaged in frivolous sideshows, his new Lakers teammates, lesser-knowns like Derek Fisher and Elden Campbell, put on the main event, performing to a level worthy of Rodman's old running mates in the Windy City.

The NBA Finals, this was not. But neither was this the Western Conference finals, as the Lakers shook off the ghosts of playoffs past with an impressive 97-89 victory over the Jazz before a packed house.

No Larry O'Brien Trophy was presented, as it was for Rodman's last visit here with the Bulls. But for the Lakers, losers of five straight games and two crushing playoff series to the Jazz, this was more than the basic Game 19 of the season.

This was therapy.

``It was big for us psychologically,'' Derek Harper said. ``When a team beats you five straight times, obviously you wonder if you can beat a basketball team that's beaten you that much.''

Just a couple of weeks back, the Lakers were wondering after Utah beat them at the Forum. But that was the other Lakers team. The one that later lost to Denver and Vancouver. This one just won its seventh straight - sixth since Rodman's arrival and Kurt Rambis' installment as coach - and it was easily the biggest win in the string.

``Three weeks ago, we would have probably given this game away on somebody else's floor,'' Harper said. ``The fact that we found a way to stay the course of the game, especially in the fourth quarter, shows that we've grown. . . . I think we gain confidence from a win like this.''

The Lakers trailed the nemesis Jazz only once. They controlled the game for all but a brief letdown just before halftime. And the Lakers avoided the overreliance on Shaquille O'Neal that has characterized any number of losses to Utah in recent years.

O'Neal scored 23 points, Kobe Bryant 24, but it was a 20-point outburst from Fisher and 16 from Campbell, both off the bench, that carried the day and changed a few trends.

Utah had won its first eight home games this season and 20 straight dating back to last season. The Lakers had lost 10 times in their last 11 trips here.

Rodman kept alive his personal winning streak against the Jazz, though Malone won the much-hyped individual battle, scoring a game-high 34 points.

Rodman provided the usual entertainment - starting a silly slap fight with Malone at midcourt after a hard foul, bantering with the locals - but he only matched up with Malone for about half the game. The rest was left up to Campbell. If nothing else, they wore Malone down. He made just 1 of 6 shots in the fourth quarter, settling for five points.

``As long as we win, that's the most important thing. I take all the blame for what happened with Karl Malone,'' Rodman said as he exited the building. But he didn't step onto the team bus without leaving a parting shot: ``The fact of it is that Utah will never win a championship.''

For what it's worth, the Lakers might, Rodman said. If they do, it will be with games like this, games in which they can take a 14-point lead in the second quarter, fritter it away and still find a way to win. They survived a 14-1 run from the Jazz at the end of the first half, then rebuilt the lead in the third behind 10 points each from Campbell and Bryant.

And then Bryant took over the fourth. His flying slam dunk over Greg Ostertag, followed by Harper's 3-pointer, turned a three-point game into an 89-81 lead, changing the momentum for good.

``I told the fans in the first quarter that I was gonna dunk on somebody,'' Bryant said. ``They was getting on me about it, so I told them here it comes and I dunked.

``Ostertag had it coming,'' Bryant said. ``He blocked my dunk like three times last year during the playoffs. I don't forget about that, man. I don't appreciate that too much.''

He can consider the favor repaid, with interest.

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Photo

PHOTO The Lakers' Kobe Bryant, who scored 24 points, fouls Jeff Hornacek in the first quarter.

Douglas C. Pizac/Associated Press