Defense Is Playing Well, but Horry Makes It Better

Eight of the Lakers’ last 10 opponents have failed to score 100 points--nine of the last 10 if the Detroit Pistons get an asterisk because they didn’t reach triple digits until 4.9 seconds remained in the second overtime--an encouraging bit of momentum for the defense that Coach Del Harris believes will play even better with the acquisition of Robert Horry.

“We’ll be real good,” Harris said.

Heading into Tuesday’s games, the Lakers were 14th in the league in points given up, 94.8, and eighth in shooting defense, 43.5%. But in the last 10 games, they’re at 91 and 40.7%, respectively.

“I think we’re OK defensively,” Harris said. “We don’t normally beat ourselves through poor defense. But [Horry] makes us better.”

Maybe even enough to push the Lakers into the top five.

“I think we can be,” Harris said. “I think we should be. And I think we ought to make that a standard to shoot for.”

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The rivalry (cont.): “Alonzo Mourning is going to make the All-Star game this year,” said Shaquille O’Neal, now bound for the Western Conference squad. “You know why? Because I’m not there.” . . . The Lakers don’t play again until Friday, then have four games in six days in four cities. Only one of the four opponents has anything close to a winning record, but the interest in that one game should make up for it: Sunday afternoon at Seattle, a pre-Super Bowl national telecast.