LAKER-CLIPPER REPORT

Friday, Corey Maggette was asked to guard Vince Carter of the Toronto Raptors.

Sunday, it was his job to smother Latrell Sprewell of the New York Knicks.

Tuesday, Maggette bellied up against Bryant.

Three strikes and you’re out?

Not if you’re Maggette, who seems to relish such assignments. Certainly, he has risen to the challenge of replacing small forward Lamar Odom, who served the eighth game of his ongoing drug suspension Tuesday.

Sweat poured from Maggette’s face as he left the Staples Center floor Tuesday. And that was after the pregame warmup.

“I think Corey is a very good player,” Coach Alvin Gentry said, merely warming up in his praise for Maggette. “I think he’s a good defender. He’s just a real hard-nosed player.”

Asked about having Maggette guard Carter, Sprewell and Bryant, Gentry said, “I think Corey likes that kind of challenge. Before we’ve even talked about our matchups, he’s the one who has asked to guard those guys. He actually said, ‘Let me guard Vince Carter.”’

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It appears backup guard Keyon Dooling, who sprained his left ankle last week, will be out for about six weeks.