Lakers are looking for more than wins on the road

PHOENIX — Here the Lakers go again, back on the road and trying to reclaim the invincible aura they seemed to have lost.

They have lost four consecutive road games, the last three coming at Miami, Charlotte and Orlando.

The Lakers play at Phoenix on Friday night and many have wondered whether the defending champions just have hit a rough patch, or whether this is something to be worried about.

It was a question posed to Kobe Bryant, who didn’t seem to be in much of a mood to discuss what ails the Lakers after practice Wednesday.

“You guys can worry all you want to,” Bryant said. “I could care less. We have to focus on what we do and continue to get better.”

At least the Lakers don’t have to travel far.

After Phoenix, the Lakers play the Warriors in Oakland on Monday night and at Sacramento on Tuesday night. It’s a part of the 11 out of 15 games on the road this month for the Lakers.

“Hopefully we get a couple of wins on the road,” Lamar Odom said, “and get back to the way we know how to play basketball.”

Where’s the joy?

Bryant made another game-winning jumper for the Lakers on Tuesday night against the Raptors.

Yet, unlike his other previous five last-second game-winners this season, there was no joyous outburst from Bryant or his teammates.

“As a coaching staff, we’re very happy,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said merrily.

Jackson paused and smiled before he continued.

“I noticed Kobe’s expression after he made the shot,” Jackson said. “Usually he throws his hands up in exaltation — either that or he’s praising the Lord. I don’t know which one it was. But, this time he didn’t.”

Jackson’s contention is that the Lakers were not happy with how they performed against the Raptors, that they were upset at losing their lead and it shouldn’t have come down to a last-second shot by Bryant.

Jackson was asked whether his team was drained and feeling the weight of trying to find its mojo again but straining to do so.

“I think that this is not unusual,” Jackson said. “I’m not very concerned about it [because] this is not unusual for an NBA basketball team.”

Pick-and-roll defense

The Lakers have had their share of difficulties trying to defend the pick-and-roll that most every team in the NBA runs.

Jackson said because they have two 7-footers, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, on the court, opposing teams look to take advantage of that on offense.

The Suns run a variety of screen-and-rolls, and their point guard Steve Nash is a master at exploiting a team’s weakness.

“We’re not as good [at defending pick-and-rolls] perhaps as some teams,” Jackson said. “But yet we feel like we’re improving as a basketball team. I thought Drew did as good of a job as he has done in a long time in screen-roll defense on Tuesday night versus Toronto.”

Etc.

Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons won’t be at Friday night’s game because of a death in the family.

broderick.turner@latimes.com

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