Official explanation for Bynum’s night?

Andrew Bynum had only four points in 14 minutes Friday against Utah, but Phil Jackson isn’t blaming him.

Instead, he found fault with referees Leroy Richardson, Derrick Stafford and Derek Richardson a day after the Lakers’ 114-108 loss in Salt Lake City.

“The big key with Drew is they wouldn’t let him play,” Jackson said Saturday. “They called a walk on him that wasn’t a walk. He was fumbling the ball around, and they were smacking him around. It was just a roughhouse game.”

Bynum, while attempting a shot in the second quarter, was slapped so loudly on his arm that it could heard 10 rows up from the court. No foul was called, and Jackson glared at one of the referees for almost 30 seconds.

“It was one of those nights in Utah that you know you’re going to get,” Jackson said. “The league throws out some referee corps that you’re dubious about to start with and, you know, the game ends up to be like that. [Utah Coach] Jerry [Sloan] plays into that well. He gets a technical and gets them intimidated and things get a little bit rough. But these [players] know that that’s what it’s going to be like out there and if they don’t, then it’s a real good learning experience.”

Each team was called for 26 fouls.

*

Kobe Bryant said his legs felt fine, mildly disagreeing with Jackson’s assessment that he tired Friday in the fourth quarter. Bryant had two points and missed all three of his shots in the quarter as the Lakers failed to hang on to a seven-point lead.

“My legs felt OK,” Bryant said. “It was just Kwame [Brown] was rolling, Lamar [Odom] was rolling, I was facilitating the offense and kind of going from there, just waiting for my moment to take it over.

“It just never got to that point because they stretched it out to a four-point lead, a five-point lead. My moment never came, but I was champing at the bit, waiting for a three-point deficit, a two-point deficit. You better believe my legs would have looked fresher than [ever].”

*

The way Ronny Turiaf looks at it, his chronically sore hips are just another thing with which to cope.

Having undergone open-heart surgery a year ago, bursitis in his hips is far less daunting, although his lower-body strength has been sapped over the last week or two and his playing time has been cut. Bursitis is the painful swelling of small sacs that help the body’s joints move more easily.

Turiaf, 23, has had the condition for years and was able to play through it while at Gonzaga.

“I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have pain in my hips,” Turiaf said. “I wish I could be 100% healthy all of the time, but, oh well.”

After compiling a combined 36 points and 16 rebounds in the team’s second and third games, Turiaf’s numbers have steadily dropped. He remains characteristically upbeat, however.

“I’m playing with great guys,” he said. “This is pretty much the best situation I could be in.”

Turiaf is averaging 6.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 12.1 minutes a game.

*

Brian Cook did not play Friday because of strep throat. “I didn’t know how sick he was,” Jackson said. “I probably should have left him in the locker room.” Jordan Farmar practiced Saturday and is expected to play tonight after sitting out two games because of a sprained ankle.

*

LAKERS TONIGHT

vs. New Jersey, 6:30, FSN West

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 570, 1330.

Records -- Lakers 8-4, Nets 5-7.

Record vs. Nets (2005-06) -- 0-2.

Update -- The Nets have lost four consecutive games, all against Western Conference teams (Portland twice, Seattle and Phoenix). Jason Kidd had seven points on three-for-12 shooting and sat out the fourth quarter of a 99-93 loss Friday at Phoenix.

*

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com