Jordan Farmar’s aggressive play helps Lakers

For Jordan Farmar, the key word was “aggressive.”

He was aggressive on offense, attacking the rim, pulling up for three-pointers.

He was aggressive on defense, hustling to block a shot, getting in the passing lane during the Lakers’ 106-87 rout of the New Jersey Nets on Sunday night at Staples Center.

“I just tried to stay positive and stay aggressive the whole time,” Farmar said.

He was, scoring a season-high 15 points. He made a season-high six field goals out of nine attempts. He was three for four from three-point range.

“I’ve been having some good looks the last couple of weeks,” Farmar said. “They haven’t been going in for me, going in and out, a little short, a little long.

“But I’ve been in the gym every night making thousands of shots every day. If I’m going to miss those open looks, I know they’ll start going down. I’m just staying aggressive.”

Even Lakers Coach Phil Jackson talked about how aggressive Farmar was.

In reality, being aggressive never has been a problem for Farmar.

It’s just that he was on point this time, using his aggressive nature to benefit him and the team.

“I liked the aggressiveness that he demonstrated,” Jackson said. “There obviously are things that I want him to do a little bit better all the time, and that’s natural. But as far as his offensive game went, he was really good.”

There was a point late in the first quarter when Farmar demonstrated his aggressive behavior on defense.

The Lakers were up by 15 points when Rafer Alston took off for what looked like a wide-open layup.

But Farmar hustled back on defense, refusing to give up, to even give up a layup.

As Alston went up for the shot, Farmar blocked it from behind just before time expired to end the quarter.

“I’m trying to go out there and have a good time,” said Farmar, who also had a steal. “I’m trying to hustle, make my imprint on the game any way I can. Sometimes it’s going to be in limited minutes, so I never really know what the end of the game is going to turn out to be. I just try to make the right play in front of me. I try to make the hustle play. He left it up there and I had a chance to go get it.”

Farmar turns 23 today, joking that he is “getting old.”

His play Sunday night was not of an old player, but of a player who played aggressive basketball on offense and defense.

“I’m just staying aggressive all the way,” Farmar said. “I’m trying to make plays defensively, get my hands in passing lanes. I’m just having a good time, just playing basketball the way I know how. It all works itself out.”

broderick.turner@latimes.com

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