Minutes Matter a Lot to Bennett

There was Mario Bennett, 12th man, four-minutes-a-game man, sitting on the bench Sunday afternoon when Coach Del Harris motioned for him to enter the game.

In the first quarter.

On national television.

Against the Chicago Bulls.

“Del tapped him and he kind of looked surprised,” teammate Kobe Bryant said. “He was ready, though.”

Was he ever. Bennett grew up in Inglewood, not far from the Great Western Forum, watching in the ‘80s as the Lakers played the same kind of games. Emotional games in made-for-TV scheduling demanded that showdowns with the Boston Celtics or the Philadelphia 76ers or the Detroit Pistons, depending on the year, be Sunday matinees.

Driving to the Forum this time, a player himself, he could feel the same atmosphere. Then he got the chance to be an integral part of it, moving up the depth chart because of an injury to Robert Horry, playing the final 2:50 of the first quarter and 14 minutes in all.

“I was just out there trying not to hurt the team,” Bennett said.

He didn’t even come close, finishing with five rebounds and one steal.

“It was more special because I got in when it mattered,” he said. “Not in garbage time. Not when I was all stiff. When it mattered.”

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There appears to be a good chance Nick Van Exel will return to action Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers after sitting out the last two games because of a strained hip, but an abdominal strain will keep Horry out for the third game in a row.

Tests Monday detected that Horry also had a minor hernia. That injury probably won’t affect his status because it appeared unlikely he would have been ready for Wednesday anyway.