Indianapolis ? Kobe Bryant rolled his eyes as he was peppered with questions about a possible fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals.

Sure, the Los Angeles Lakers are on a torrid pace, winning 12 of their last 16 games, but all that’s gotten them is a 23-23 record.

“We’re just trying to get into the playoffs,” Bryant said. “We’re taking baby steps. We wanted to get to .500 and we’re here. Now we have to take another step forward. The Finals? We’re not thinking about that too much.”

Still, the Lakers are showing signs of playing like the team that swept New Jersey in last year’s finals. That’s not good news for any team that considers itself a title contender.

Los Angeles’ 97-94 victory Tuesday over Eastern Conference-leading Indiana was the team’s fourth straight, including three road games. They moved within 21/2 games of Houston in the race for the final playoff spot in the West.

The Lakers will need a win tonight at New York to avoid a sub-.500 record at the All-Star break for the first time since 1993-94, when Randy Pfund was the coach.

“I think we’re at a point now where we’re excited about it,” Bryant said. “We’re excited about the challenges. We’re excited about the opportunity to have a great second half of the season.”

The Lakers reached .500 for the first time since Nov. 3, when they were 2-2 and were rallying from an 11-19 record following a Christmas Day loss to Sacramento.

With Shaquille O’Neal getting back in shape after missing the first 12 games of the season because of toe surgery and bench players making more of a contribution, the Lakers have rolled.

Bryant is the one leading he way. He has scored 40, 38, 42 and 35 points in his last four games and ranks second in the league in scoring with a 28.2 average.

“He’s carrying that team as much as he can,” Indiana’s Brad Miller said. “He’s got the talent to do that. He’s one of the best players in the league.”

Against the Pacers, Bryant made nine of his first 16 shots and had 20 first-half points. In the third quarter, he missed his first seven shots and O’Neal played just five minutes because of foul trouble.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said his team has had trouble finding the energy and desire to put games away in the third quarter, resulting in losses to Cleveland, Miami and Golden State.

Taking a lead without O’Neal and a slumping Bryant should provide a boost.

“You have to have confidence in finishing games,” Jackson said. “We have not done that well in the early part of the year and that’s the reason our record is what is.”