Mini-Trip Is a Big Deal

The Lakers have won four road games, three of them when their luxury cars were not valet parked beneath Staples Center, and so there is more to New Orleans on Wednesday and Houston on Friday than the typical mid-week getaway.

All told, they are 4-14 on the road. Outside of their Week 1 victory against the Clippers, they have won at Denver, Toronto and Memphis, Tenn., two of those requiring overtime. Only the game at Denver was easy.

They’ll practice today in El Segundo and fly this afternoon to New Orleans, then try to draw something dynamic from themselves. Last year, they won 24 times on the road. At their current rate, the Lakers will win nine road games, the fewest since the 1975-76 team won nine and, at 40-42, failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Of course, everything has been an effort for the Lakers in their bid to win a fourth consecutive title, sometimes without Shaquille O’Neal, sometimes without defense, sometimes without a perimeter shooter.

They began winning with some regularity again three weeks ago, when their record was 10-18 and the panic was starting to show. They’ve won seven of nine since, have their first four-game winning streak of the season, and seem ready as ever to wander back out on the road and try that again.

“The key is this week’s trip,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “To continue this search and put ourselves in good favor in the next week.

“Our shooting is better and so is our offense. But, that is not going to win on the road as much as defense is.”

That is a bit of an issue with the Lakers, who have averaged 107 points in their last 10 games, but have won only three games in which they’ve scored fewer than 100 points, none since Nov. 22.

“We were always known as a pretty good road team,” O’Neal said. “Hopefully, we get it back.”

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Although the offense sometimes dies in Kobe Bryant’s dribble, and although the defense sometimes suffers in the turnovers that hound them or in the personal fouls coming from weary legs, O’Neal said Sunday he had found another reason for optimism.

“Guys are just tired,” he said. “Tired of getting beat, of getting humbled. We knew we had to pick it up. When the ball keeps moving, we’re OK.”

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New Orleans point guard Baron Davis has not played since Dec . 31 because of back spasms. He has a herniated disk.

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After averaging 7.3 minutes in 30 games, including four games in which Jackson sat him for the entirety, rookie Kareem Rush has averaged 19.9 minutes since Christmas Day.

In a 25-point victory over Miami on Sunday, Rush scored a career-high 11 points. He made two three-pointers, the first time the shooter from Missouri had made more than one long shot in a game.

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Bryant’s five triple-doubles are the most in the league this season.... The Lakers have won 23 of their last 28 quarters. They started the season winning 18 of 48 quarters.... Bryant’s shooting percentage is its highest in a month at 45.2%. Bryant, with Stephon Marbury of Phoenix, was Western Conference co-player of the week. He averaged 34 points, 5.3 rebounds and six assists as the Lakers won three times.