Odom Not Panicking

Common sense might dictate otherwise after a three-game trip goes awry, but the Lakers maintain the panic button is safely encased under glass.

There are four Laker losses in a row for the first time this season and the schedule is as foreboding as can be, but there is still talk of maintaining a grip on the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

“It’s never panic time,” forward Lamar Odom said. “We’ve been in this situation before where you’ve got to win, whether it’s eighth grade, fifth-grade basketball, high school, college, and now professional. We’ve got to put a streak of wins together. How we’re going to do that is playing basketball the right way.”

It’s fair to say the Lakers have been playing the wrong way.

They gave up the last 10 points of the game in a six-point loss to the Toronto Raptors. They allowed Tim Thomas to score 35 points in losing to the New York Knicks. Then came Wednesday, another day of defensive strife leading to another loss, this one to the Boston Celtics.

Barring an unforeseen run to close out the season, the Laker record won’t have too many more wins than losses, if at all, leaving players to look for other sources of satisfaction.

“When you get in this type of situation and you see yourself fighting for your life, it’s all about making it now,” Odom said. “How much does it matter in your record if you’re .500, two games over .500? Either you’re in or you’re out. If you’re 10 games under .500 and you make the playoffs, you don’t [care] because you made the playoffs. It’s all about getting to the next level.”

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Marcus Banks, a Laker for a brief time, tied a career high Wednesday with eight assists.

Banks, the Celtics’ backup point guard, was part of the original trade in August that brought him, Chris Mihm and Chucky Atkins to the Lakers for Gary Payton. But after Payton balked and refused to show up for a physical, the Lakers had to sweeten the deal to keep the Celtics from voiding it.

The Lakers agreed to accept Jumaine Jones instead of Banks, leaving them an unbalanced roster with four small forwards, and they also returned a second-round pick to the Celtics.

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So, what’s Karl Malone doing in retirement?

He is host of a weeklong hunting special called “Big Game Madness” set to begin Monday on the Outdoor Life Network.

Malone’s role as host will include daily selection of the “Rack Buster,” where he chooses the best animal taken during that evening’s lineup of shows such as “Buckmasters” and “Ruger’s Hunting Adventures.”

TONIGHT

vs. Dallas, 7:30, FSN West

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 570, 1330.

Records -- Lakers 28-28, Mavericks 38-18.

Record vs. Mavericks -- 0-1.

Update -- The Mavericks had been on a roll until a 101-92 loss Wednesday to the Clippers. The Mavericks had little problem with the Lakers in a 118-104 victory Jan. 5 in Dallas. Maverick point guard Jason Terry had 28 points and made nine of 10 shots in that game. Dirk Nowitzki averages 27.0 points for Dallas.