Home Record Getting Better

If the Western Conference standings were based solely on home records, the Lakers would reside in ninth place and require a late-season push just to make the playoffs.

Although home defeats to the likes of Phoenix and San Antonio are understandable, Staples Center has also played host to more Laker horror shows than anyone could have expected, including losses to lowly Atlanta and Seattle.

“We had a problem playing against teams that were doing well at the time, and other teams that I guess we thought we were better than, we were not coming out and performing up to our ability,” Laker forward Lamar Odom said Saturday. “But I think in the last part of the season, we’ve been handling the teams we should handle.”

The Lakers have won four of their last five games at home, including victories over Sacramento, Milwaukee and New Orleans, all teams in the playoff hunt.

Clinging to seventh place in their conference, 1 1/2 games ahead of eighth-place Sacramento, the Lakers close the regular season with six of eight games at Staples.

“We want to send a message to our home crowd that this is something that we value,” Kobe Bryant said. “We want to protect our home court.”

Playing well down the stretch at home, where the Lakers are 21-14, would be especially meaningful because the remaining Staples schedule includes games against conference rivals New Orleans, Houston and Golden State.

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Phil Jackson, exorcist?

That was the latest label bestowed upon the Laker coach after his team shook off its recent third-quarter woes during Friday’s 106-93 victory over Seattle.

“Phil put his hand on us and exorcised the demons of the third quarter,” said Bryant, who scored 14 points in the quarter, which the Lakers won, 29-17.

The Lakers held the SuperSonics to four-for-21 shooting in the quarter, quite a departure from recent lackluster performances following halftime.

“The problem that we’ve run into is that teams have stepped up their intensity level and we haven’t been able to match it,” Bryant said.

“What we’ll try to do now is come out and throw the first blow ourselves and put them on their heels and they can try to elevate their energy as opposed to the other way around.”

Does Bryant expect any more problems in the third quarter?

“Not unless another demon sneaks back into us,” he said.

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TODAY

vs. Houston, 12:30 p.m., Ch. 7

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 570; 1330.

Records -- Lakers 39-35, Rockets 32-40.

Record vs. Rockets -- 1-1.

Update -- Jackson said he hoped rookie center Andrew Bynum, who has not played since March 24 because of a sprained right foot and ankle, could return by next weekend.