Odom Puts It in Drive

In the end, the franchise managed to survive.

Kobe Bryant was back home in Newport Beach, ankle propped up and out of harm’s way, but Lamar Odom was healthy and more than helpful, making a driving layup over Clifford Robinson with 1.3 seconds left to give the Lakers a 104-102 victory Saturday over the Golden State Warriors in front of 19,602 at the Arena.

Odom, who had only three points at halftime, finished with 27 points on 11-of-26 shooting, by far the most attempts he has taken this season. He also had 12 rebounds, tying him with Chris Mihm for team honors.

In a way, Odom set up his own winning shot, drawing a charge on Adonal Foyle with 12.6 seconds to play and the score tied, 102-102.

“L.O. was tremendous, right up to the last shot,” Laker Coach Rudy Tomjanovich said.

Speedy Claxton’s three-point attempt at the buzzer was long, and the Lakers had won.

Odom was stopped only by a TV reporter, who pulled him back onto the court for a postgame interview seconds after Odom had dashed toward the locker room. Tomjanovich jogged by and bearhugged him before walking briskly off the court, both fists pumped, letting out a yell to nobody in particular.

Odom had set a season high with 17 shots Thursday against Cleveland, and with Bryant out of the mix, the ball figured to go to him often against the Warriors.

“With Kobe out of the game, there’s going to be more shots available,” Odom said. “We just play basketball and make the right shots. At the end of both games, I had it going a little bit one-on-one so I was able to make plays. It’s going to be like that while he’s out and then when he comes back, that’s his role.”

The Lakers put Bryant on the injured list Saturday afternoon, meaning he will be out at least five games. He will be re-evaluated Monday, when a more accurate timetable is expected to be known. The earliest he could return is Jan. 26 against the Clippers.

The Warriors, losers of nine consecutive games, had ankle problems of their own, leading scorer Jason Richardson sitting out his ninth game in row Saturday because of a sprain.

But Derek Fisher, a franchise favorite through eight seasons and three championships with the Lakers, had a career-high 29 points for the Warriors, with whom he signed a six-year, $37 million free-agent contract last July. Troy Murphy had 19 rebounds.

Chucky Atkins had 20 points, and Caron Butler and Mihm each had 16 against the Warriors.

Laker rookie Sasha Vujacic, who had played all of 63 minutes in his NBA career before Saturday, started in Bryant’s place. He had eight points in the first quarter and the Lakers led, 33-29, but he did not score again.

Atkins did his part in the first half with 13 points, helping the Lakers stay ahead at halftime, 51-49.

But Fisher, who had 19 points in the first half, continued to pester his former team. Early in the fourth quarter, he shoved Atkins and was bumped in the chest after the play by Laker forward Brian Cook. Fisher was hit with a technical foul.

A few minutes later, Fisher made a three-pointer to give Golden State a 92-83 lead with 8:21 to play.

The Lakers gradually came back, Atkins giving them a 97-96 lead on a three-pointer with 2:41 left to play.

“He’s Mr. Pressure now, hitting big shots,” Tomjanovich said.

Before the game, Laker assistant coach Frank Hamblen, was all business. He came in and turned off a locker-room TV that was broadcasting, fairly loudly, the St. Louis-Atlanta NFL playoff game.

Afterward, with the locker-room volume once again operating at full tilt, there was talk of finally beating back a bothersome streak: The Lakers have won two consecutive games eight times this season, but they have yet to win three consecutive games.

“We need it,” Odom said. “Playing against Utah, they smacked us up there. I’m looking forward to seeing those guys again [Monday].”