Lakers are good in a clinch

They ... finally ... won.

It only seemed like an eternity since their last notable victory, but the Lakers beat the Seattle SuperSonics and clinched a playoff spot, ending a 2-8 skid with a new-look lineup Sunday night at Staples Center.

Smush Parker was out as a starter, Jordan Farmar was in, and the Lakers held on and took the win, 109-98.

The only drama that remains over the next few days is their seeding: They are currently seventh in the Western Conference, half a game ahead of Golden State. If they win their regular-season finale Wednesday in Sacramento, the Lakers clinch seventh and open the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns ... again.

The Lakers (41-40), who hold the tiebreaker with the Warriors, would also play the Suns if the Warriors (40-40) lost one of their last two games -- Tuesday against Dallas and Wednesday at Portland

If the Lakers fall to eighth, they would play Dallas, the keeper of the league’s best record, in the first round. Either way, it will be their 43rd trip to the playoffs in 47 years in Los Angeles.

“We needed this type of game right now for us and for the city, kind of take care of business when we can,” said Kobe Bryant, who scored 50 points on 18-for-25 shooting.

The vibe in the locker room was eminently more chipper than the Lakers’ last game at Staples Center, a loss Thursday to the Clippers in which a 17-point lead disappeared and Bryant fumed afterward, angrily imploring his teammates to make more shots.

But still, there were words of caution from Coach Phil Jackson.

“I think there’s a sigh of relief, but I do think that they know they’ve got to improve their play, too,” Jackson said. “If you’re going to play and give away games at the end, it doesn’t matter if you go in the playoffs. You’re just fodder. You’re just going to be fodder for these teams that you play against.”

It was Jackson who set the tone for Sunday’s shake-up, inserting Farmar in place of Parker at point guard. Kwame Brown also started in place of Andrew Bynum at center after missing six games because he had aggravated his sore left ankle.

“We’d had some things not going right for us and I thought it was time to make a change and see if a change helped us out,” said Jackson, who was noncommittal when asked if Farmar would start against Sacramento.

Farmar had nine points and three assists in 28 minutes. Parker had four points and an assist in 19 minutes.

The more noteworthy stats belonged to Bryant, who was again linked historically to Wilt Chamberlain by scoring at least 50 points for the 10th time this season, the third-most in a season in league history. Chamberlain’s numbers are almost mind-blowing: He had 45 games of 50-plus points in 1961-62 and 30 games of 50-plus in 1962-63.

Bryant, averaging 31.5 points a game, also made a second consecutive scoring title all but official. If Bryant scores 30 against Sacramento, Denver’s Carmelo Anthony would have had to average 109.8 points in the Nuggets’ final two games to pass Bryant.

Bryant pushed the Lakers into the playoffs Sunday, perhaps no shot as important as a double-clutch fadeaway that hit the bottom of the net at about the same time his bottom hit the floor, giving the Lakers a 96-89 lead with 3:54 to play.

They needed Bryant to step forward after losing another large lead.

Maurice Evans’ layup provided a 46-27 lead with 6:11 left in the second quarter, but the Sonics trimmed the lead to nine by halftime and eventually pulled within 87-86 with 7:58 to play.

Bryant, coming off a seven-for-26 shooting effort Friday in Phoenix, was much sharper Sunday, allowing the Lakers to peek ahead into their near future: Will it be Phoenix or Dallas?

“I posed that question to the players and they didn’t care,” Jackson said. “They said, ‘We’re in, we have a chance and that’s what’s important.’ But we do want to win Wednesday and if we win, we obviously play Phoenix.”

The Lakers came into the game with lifted spirits after the Clippers lost to Sacramento, 105-100, earlier in the day at Staples Center.

“Thank God the Clippers lost today,” Brown said.

It opened the door for the Lakers to clinch a playoff spot, and they did. Either Phoenix or Dallas awaits.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Playoff race

A look at the teams fighting for the last two playoff positions in the Western Conference:

*--* W L GB 7. LAKERS* 41 40 25 1/2 8. Golden State 40 40 26 9. CLIPPERS 39 41 1

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*-- Lakers clinched a playoff spot Sunday.

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On Sunday night, Kobe Bryant recorded his 21st game of 50 points or more in his career; 10 have come this season:

*--* PTS OPPONENT DATE 65 Portland March 16, 2007 60 Memphis March 22, 2007 58 Charlotte (3OT) Dec. 29, 2006 53 Houston (OT) March 30, 2007 53 Houston Dec. 15, 2006 52 Utah Nov. 30, 2006 50 New Orleans March 23, 2007 50 Minnesota March 18, 2007 50 Clippers April 12, 2007 50 Seattle April 15, 2007

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Online poll results

There were 3,818 votes cast in the most recent online poll: Who will make the playoffs, the Lakers or Clippers?

*--* Both will 36.1%

Lakers only 34.1%

Clippers only 19.8%

Neither will 10.0%

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Next: Online readers start picking the all-time L.A. Dodgers team. Up first, the best catcher. Vote now at: www.latimes.com/sports

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Los Angeles Times