Lakers Get Break From the Blues

The Lakers emerged from their latest controversy, rubbed their eyes and did something that hadn’t happened for a long time.

They won a game.

The Lakers ended an eight-game losing streak, the second-longest in franchise history, with a 117-107 victory over the New York Knicks in front of 18,997 Tuesday at Staples Center.

The victory, coming two days after Chucky Atkins derisively called Kobe Bryant the Laker general manager and 17 days after the Lakers defeated the Charlotte Bobcats, perhaps ended the frustration, at least temporarily, that had seeped into the locker room as the losses collected, game after game.

Bryant had 32 points, Caron Butler had 26 and Devean George had 18 in only his third game in an injury-plagued season. Atkins had 10 points.

“It was big for us on the strength of any time you’re on an eight-game losing streak and lost two or three in a row at home, you must try to get a win any way you can,� Atkins said. “Things changed drastically and we were able to get the win.�

Things appeared to be drastic after Atkins’ words on Sunday, which were then followed up by a severe back-tracking session Monday, in which Atkins denied criticizing Bryant.

Then came Tuesday, a game against a struggling Knick team, and a Laker victory.

“We needed a win desperately,� Coach Frank Hamblen said. “[There’s] been a lot of stuff going on the last few days. Maybe just put that stuff behind us.�

The Lakers moved within 5 1/2 games of the Denver Nuggets for the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference, but there are numerous steps left, many of them daunting and difficult, to get back into contention.

The Lakers have 12 games left, including a trip that begins Saturday in San Antonio, continues Sunday in Memphis and concludes Tuesday in Phoenix, three games against teams that would be in the playoffs if they started today.

“Our playoff hopes are probably very slim at this point,� Hamblen said. “We just want to get back to playing good basketball.

“Until you’re mathematically eliminated, you still have a chance for the playoffs, but our chances are pretty slim. A lot of teams are still jockeying for position, so maybe we can be a spoiler.�

Bryant, when asked to put the last couple of weeks in perspective, declined to go into detail.

“No, I don’t want to,� Bryant said. “Don’t want to think about it. Maybe one day I’ll think about it ... but for right now we’ll think positive.�

Knick forward Tim Thomas, who hit the Lakers for a season-high 35 points when they met last month, had five points Tuesday, much closer to his season average than his earlier effort against the Lakers.

The Lakers played a comparatively good defensive game, forcing 18 turnovers and collecting 10 steals.

They also limited their own turnovers to 10 after totaling 27 in a loss Sunday to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Lakers led at halftime, 51-46, after collecting seven steals in the first half, an unusual outburst for a team on pace to force the fewest turnovers in a season in league history.

George, who had missed 67 games because of a series of complications from off-season ankle surgery, made six of 11 shots, played 33 minutes, had 12 second-half points and looked to be in full form.

There was a victory, and a strong effort from one of the last links of Laker championship runs in 2000, 2001 and 2002, but the big picture of a franchise enduring its worst season since 1993-94 wasn’t lost on everybody.

“It’s been tough for the guys and for everybody, I think for the whole organization,� Hamblen said. “This organization, one of the elite in all sports.... for it to be in this situation, reloading, it’s tough, but they all have to do that sooner or later.

“This is our year to start that process.�