Odom Play, Timing Are Good

Lamar Odom has strung together some of his best games as a Laker, his timing impeccable, if not downright necessary, with the team trying to make it past April 19. He is averaging 20.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.7 assists over the last six games.

“The biggest change in this ballclub now is the play of Lamar,” Kobe Bryant said Monday, when Odom had 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists in a 105-97 victory over Boston. “He’s really understanding the fluidity and how to execute the offense. He’s gotten more comfortable and, as a result, he’s more consistent. That gives us a big, big boost.”

Odom has been a dependable rebounder since the Shaquille O’Neal trade, but his scoring has been inconsistent.

With his points and assists on the rise, he appears to have moved his game to a different level.

“We hope so,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “He’s played very well since the All-Star break. There’s been a couple [subpar] games ... but it’s not like earlier in the season. Since he’s recovered from the injury to his shoulder, I think he’s played very well.”

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Jackson, who has spoken all season as if the Lakers are a sure thing to make the playoffs, doesn’t flinch at the possibility of a first-round series against San Antonio or Dallas, assuming the Lakers qualify.

“You know that we play well with them,” Jackson said. “We have some sense of confidence against the teams that are bracketed against us if the playoffs were to start today.”

The Lakers finished 2-1 against Dallas and are 1-2 against the Spurs with a March 30 game in Los Angeles.

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Bryant had 10 free throws Monday, more than he had in any of the previous six games, but not enough to suit his taste.

“It’s crazy,” he said. “The shots I was hitting in the fourth quarter, they were hitting me in my arm. You’ve just got to shoot through it.”

Bryant, averaging 10.2 free throws this season, had averaged only 3.9 in the six games before Monday.

Jackson, surprisingly, sidestepped an opportunity to criticize referees, an oft-used tactic of his this season.

“I think the more attention you draw to it, the worse it becomes, so it’s better just to shut up and swallow your pride,” he said.