WRITING THIS ONE OFF FORMER COACH SEES LAKERS LOSE 5TH IN A ROW HOUSTON 114, LAKERS 100.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

Maybe Phil Jackson saw something different than everyone else from Jerry Buss' luxury suite Thursday night. Maybe he saw something other than a Lakers team that has lost 13 of 14 games playing out the last two weeks of the season.

Maybe he didn't see Kobe Bryant shoot 4 for 19 with his right leg heavily wrapped. Maybe he didn't see the Lakers surrender more than 100 points for the umpteenth time. Maybe he didn't see the crowd booing in the final minute.

Or maybe Jackson just crossed his first team off the list of those he will consider this summer.

He sat impassively through the Lakers' 114-110 loss to the Houston Rockets at Staples Center, their first game since being eliminated from playoff contention and the fifth consecutive defeat in what is fast becoming another dismal streak.

Jackson was not available to reporters at the game, and interim coach Frank Hamblen, a Jackson assistant for seven seasons, had only one wish afterward.

``I hope he had to pay his way in,'' Hamblen said.

Since returning in February from his six-week vacation to Australia and New Zealand, Jackson has said little publicly about his intentions. He sat next to girlfriend Jeanie Buss at Thursday's game and two seats from Buss himself.

Everyone said in advance that Jackson and Buss were not going to talk business. In fact, they said almost nothing to each other during the game. Some of the Lakers players, meanwhile, said they didn't even know Jackson was there.

``I don't want to get caught up in speculation of what might happen next season or in the offseason because we still have a season to play here,'' Bryant said. ``Even though we're not going to the playoffs, we still have a season to play out.''

With Jackson not being shown on the video board, the crowd had no opportunity to acknowledge the coach who was part of three championship seasons and might best represent hope to Lakers fans.

The Lakers, playing for nothing more than pingpong balls, would have the No. 10 pick if the NBA Draft lottery holds to form. They fell to 33-42 and have five more games in a row to play against Western Conference playoff teams.

Hamblen could cite another invisible defensive effort afterward. With a chance to play spoiler against a Houston team fighting to stay in sixth place, the Lakers instead saw all nine Rockets who played score above their season average.

Tracy McGrady led all scorers with 27 points, hitting five of his first six shots, Yao Ming scored 21 points, and Scott Padgett added 16 points off the bench. The Lakers are 7-36 when an opponent scores 100 points or more.

``When you really aren't going anywhere,'' Hamblen said, ``sometimes you'd rather score than maybe sacrifice yourself defensively.''

Caron Butler finished with 24 points but four of his shots were blocked in the first half. The first three were by Yao, the fourth by 38-year-old Dikembe Mutombo, who wagged his finger afterward in a throwback to old days.

After sitting out Tuesday's loss to Phoenix with a bruised shin, Bryant found a way on the floor against the Rockets. Despite a poor shooting night, Bryant recorded his fifth triple-double of the season: 19 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists.

The Lakers have seven games left in the season, and Hamblen said he had a priority when he returns from this weekend's trip to Seattle and Sacramento.

``When I get back, I'm going to call (Jackson),'' Hamblen said. ``Ask him what he thinks for the rest of the way about our guys and what we should do.''

Ross Siler, [phone]

ross.siler(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, 2 boxes

Photo:

Phil Jackson, right, watches Thursday's game alongside Lakers owner Jerry Buss, left.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) LAKERS at SEATTLE

- Ross Siler

(2) GAME RECAP