Odom-less Lakers fall to Suns
 

PHOENIX - Lamar Odom wasn't here - and probably won't be playing anywhere again this season, if you read into Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson's pregame allusion to "season-ending injuries." But Odom would've been proud of the loud and regular communication there was within the Los Angeles Lakers' defense Sunday.

The defensive teamwork that Odom has been pining for all season kept the Los Angeles Lakers close in their first trip back to Phoenix since losing Game 7 of their playoff series last season. It still didn't prevent a 99-94 loss, even with the Suns playing what two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash called a "sloppy" game.

And though both Jackson and Kobe Bryant expressed some optimism after the good effort, the challenge for the Odom-less Los Angeles Lakers is to be more than a plucky bird that can flap around with the rising Phoenixes, Dallases and San Antonios.

"I'm just happy we held them under 100," Kobe Bryant said. "Our defense, as of late, has been crap. So we did a good job defensively and we can take that away from this game."

Kobe Bryant said that if the Los Angeles Lakers keep defending in this manner, they'll be fine. And they did set a season high in calling out to teammates about where picks were coming from and informing teammates when defensive support was available - two musts against Phoenix's constant screen-and-roll play that has set league highs in shooting and scoring.

Kwame Brown winced through 28 minutes and showed what a critical interior defender he is in his second game back from his ankle injury. Starting for Odom, Brian Cook had a career-high 14 rebounds and 22 points, hitting four three-pointers and showing anew what a weapon he can be in pick-and-rolls with Kobe Bryant.

It was a big rebound game in another sense for Cook, who had five fouls and six turnovers in 21 minutes Friday in the loss to Sacramento. He will be critical to the team as long as Odom is missing - and Jackson suggested it will be at least two or three weeks before Odom can even be re-evaluated and possibly avoid surgery in a best-case scenario.

Odom will be examined by Angels team doctor Lewis Yocum today, but Jackson said that appointment is only to "give confirmation" of what the Los Angeles Lakers understand to be a torn labrum in Odom's shooting shoulder. Odom needed surgery to repair the same injury in 2005, ending his season early.

"If you have season-ending injuries, that's pretty debilitating," Jackson said. "That takes your roster down."

The Los Angeles Lakers' offense was sluggish Sunday without the playmaking knacks of Odom and still-injured Luke Walton. The Los Angeles Lakers' 11 assists were a season low, and no player but Kobe Bryant had more than two.

PIPPEN CONTACT

Jackson phoned Scottie Pippen to inquire about his conditioning and came away with the impression that Pippen was interested in playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Jackson said Pippen "talked about the parameters of what he can do and what he thinks he can do to help."

"It was just kind of preliminary talk about what he's doing, where he's at and how he feels," Jackson said.

The Los Angeles Lakers' need for Pippen, who is considering coming out of retirement at 41, hinges to some extent on the health of small forwards Odom and Walton. Besides Odom's appointment with Yocum today, Walton is scheduled to review results of an MRI on his right ankle that has come across complications beyond the moderate sprain.

"We'll take it one step at a time," Jackson said. "We'll wait and see what happens with Luke and Lamar and then go from there."

PARKER STRUGGLES

After a difficult time with Nash in the playoffs last season, Smush Parker (three points, no assists, four fouls) was upset that he didn't play the final 5:40 Sunday. Jackson opted for Shammond Williams because Smush Parker appeared tentative on offense. Jackson said he made a point to explain to Smush Parker after the game that the benching did not result from Smush Parker's defense against Nash (23 points, 10 assists).

Jackson called Smush Parker "flaccid" on offense, but also called Smush Parker "despondent" during the third quarter when Nash got revved up. Jackson wanted to see if Williams could guard Nash, too, saying afterward that Williams "did OK." Smush Parker could be seen working on his hair extensively before the nationally televised game.

NOTES

Kobe Bryant had 31 points and six assists, but made just 5 of 16 shots to start the game. He heated up upon shifting to the post in the second half, but missed a runner in the lane over Shawn Marion with 2:04 left and Phoenix up, 93-90. ... Jackson said he has "some books" to give out to his players on this week-long trip and still needs to buy a few more. ... Guard Sasha Vujacic got significant playing time for the second consecutive game, whereas Jordan Farmar didn't play for the second time in three games. ... The Los Angeles Lakers dropped to 6-12 since Walton was hurt.

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