Dwight Howard thinks the Lakers can still win a championship

The Lakers are languishing, their playoff fate no longer in their control.

But Dwight Howard still thinks a championship is possible.

“If we get into the playoffs, there’s no doubt in my mind and in any of our minds, that we can win a championship,� he said Tuesday. “It would be stupid of me to sit here and say to you [media] guys that if we make it to the playoffs, we’ll be out in the first round. I have confidence in our team.�

The Lakers, though, trail Utah by half a game and have already lost the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Jazz.

The Lakers (40-37) have five games left and begin a back-to-back Tuesday against New Orleans at Staples Center. They continue it Wednesday at Portland, where they are 4-17 since 2002.

Howard isn’t ready to consider the imponderable: Will the Lakers fail to make the playoffs?

“I really haven’t even thought about it,� he said. “When we’re away from the game, we just keep our minds on something else so we won’t just think so much about what we need to do. I think that’s bad for us players. When we get in the gym, then it’s time to go to work.�

Howard said the Lakers hadn’t adopted a dour attitude yet.

“We smile in the locker room. We’re still blessed to be alive. No need to walk around with frowns on our faces,� he said. “We know what we need to do as a team -- we’ve just got to go do it.�

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