Mihm Does Inside Job

He came into the game eager to beat his former team, and so he did.

Gary Payton was only average, but Chris Mihm was more than that, scoring 19 points, taking 15 rebounds and leading the Lakers past the Boston Celtics, 104-95, in front of 18,997 Tuesday at Staples Center.

Mihm, acquired by the Lakers last August as part of the Payton trade, arrived in Los Angeles an unknown entity, a former lottery pick who struggled in his first four pro seasons. He left the court Tuesday to a standing ovation, his fourth-quarter presence a difference-maker as the Lakers moved out from a 74-72 deficit entering the quarter.

Mihm, seemingly everywhere under the basket during a key Laker run, turned a no-look pass from Kobe Bryant into a dunk and followed up Jumaine Jones’ missed jump shot with another dunk. He had eight offensive rebounds in the game and four blocked shots.

“You know you’re always going to have a good game when one of your old teams is coming to your house,” Mihm said. “It was important for me to help us get the W.”

Lamar Odom was also a presence under the basket, rebounding from a poor first half to finish with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

“Special stars for Lamar Odom and Chris Mihm,” Coach Frank Hamblen said.

Bryant had 21 points. Jones, who also came to the Lakers in the Payton trade, had 14 points.

Hamblen, who singed the Lakers for poor rebounding and defense during a 1-4 trip before the All-Star break, was satisfied with the effort in both categories Tuesday. The Lakers outrebounded the Celtics, 54-32, and their defense helped them claim a 32-21 edge in points in the fourth quarter.

Boston came into the game with a 27-26 record, good enough for first place in the watered-down Atlantic Division, but it was the Lakers who came away with a victory in a place they needed it most -- at home.

With 19 of their final 31 games on the road, the Lakers’ playoff hopes very much depend on holding fast at Staples Center, so much so that Odom suggested the Lakers needed to run the table at home to ensure playing into May.

Going 12-0 the rest of the way at home might be a bit much to ask, but the Lakers, now 19-10 at Staples Center, were up for it Tuesday, taking control of the game in the final quarter with a 22-10 run.

Payton, who spent one mercurial season with the Lakers before being traded to the Celtics for Mihm, Jones and Chucky Atkins, had 11 points. He was greeted by a mixture of quiet applause and half-hearted boos during pregame introductions, with fans neither welcoming him back warmly nor signaling total displeasure.

Payton, averaging 12.2 points and 6.1 assists before Tuesday, made three of 10 shots and had five assists against the Lakers.

Payton needed more help from his current teammates. Other than Paul Pierce and Ricky Davis, who each had 25 points, no Celtic besides Payton had more than seven points.

With Bryant rested and fully rehabbed from a severely sprained ankle, the Lakers relied primarily on the triangle offense Tuesday.

They first went back to the triangle last month against Houston, and it was somewhat successful until Bryant got hurt three games later and the scheme was basically shelved for five weeks while Bryant sat out.

But Kurt Rambis and Brian Shaw were pulled from their jobs in the Laker front office and turned into assistant coaches last week to add stability to a thinned coaching staff and help re-install the triangle offense, a complex scheme that Tex Winter once took 230 pages to detail in a book.

“Kurt and Brian have been a big help polishing things up,” Hamblen said. “[The triangle] is still a work in progress, but it’s gotten better. Guys are understanding it better.”

Laker forward Caron Butler did not play because of what team officials said was a stomach virus. Luke Walton started in his place and had nine points in a season-high 36 minutes.