Lakers are missing something

The Lakers kept it whisper-close for a while, just enough for hushed Dallas Mavericks fans to shift uncomfortably in their seats going into the fourth quarter.

Then came the final 12 minutes, and a reminder of how tough things could get without Lamar Odom.

On the day they found out their second-best player would be out four to eight weeks because of a sprained ligament in his right knee, the Lakers hung with Dallas longer than expected before reality caught up with them in a 110-101 loss Wednesday at American Airlines Center.

It was too much basketball -- the second night of a back-to-back situation -- with too little time to adjust to life without Odom, their second-leading scorer and top facilitator.

Kobe Bryant had 33 points, but only Luke Walton had more than 12 points, and it took him 13 shots to score 13.

The Lakers were able to win Tuesday in Houston after Odom went down in the first few minutes, but he was definitely missed against Dallas.

“You didn’t have to watch tonight’s game to know it,” Walton said. “It’s one thing to do it one game. We’ve got to be able to do it every night. We weren’t all there tonight.”

Earlier in the day, after Odom was examined by team doctor Steve Lombardo in Los Angeles, the Lakers announced he would miss at least four weeks. Full recovery from a sprained medial collateral ligament can take up to eight weeks.

Odom had been averaging 17.5 points, and he led the team with 8.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists a game.

“He brings a lot of mobility after he does rebound the ball,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. “He runs, pushes the ball up and distributes it well on the move.... We’ll miss that.”

The Lakers missed it against the Mavericks, taking only 31 rebounds to the Mavericks’ 39, and collecting only 14 assists to 23 for the Mavericks.

Despite it all, the Lakers trailed, 83-81, going into the fourth after another blistering third quarter, this one punctuated by 34 Lakers points.

But the Mavericks continued their torrid shooting -- 61.1% in the fourth quarter, 60% for the game -- to move away from the Lakers.

Mavericks fans reveled in the Lakers’ loss, particularly loving it when a cartoon image of Dirk Nowitzki popped up on the scoreboard to sing a quick tune: “Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be Lakers fans.... It takes more than Zen in order to win, so victory belongs to the Mavs.”

The Mavericks got the victory, but the Lakers got a split on their two-game trip, not bad at all considering they went almost all of the Houston game without Odom.

They now return home for games against Houston and Washington before hitting the road again, this time for a longer test -- six games, including Christmas in Miami.

If Jackson gets his way, the Lakers will put up better efforts earlier in games. They trailed Dallas at the end of the first quarter, 33-21.

“I thought we were weak-minded the first half,” Jackson said. “We didn’t fight through picks. Guys were getting mismatched on players they shouldn’t have been playing because we just didn’t make the effort. Some of that was miscommunication. That’ll happen when you have new people in the lineup like we did tonight.”

Vladimir Radmanovic started in Odom’s spot and scored 11 points in 18 minutes. Jordan Farmar showed some fire in the first half and finished with 12 points. Farmar played 23 minutes, only two fewer than starter Smush Parker, who also scored 12 points.

Bryant shot well, making nine of 18 shots, and played 44 minutes, a likely sign of the next month, or longer, without Odom.

“He may have to take on a little bigger load than I’d like him to right now,” Jackson said beforehand. “We’ll find somebody else to step in there and hopefully provide the spark for us.”

If not, it’s up to Bryant.

“I’m ready to do whatever it takes,” Bryant said. “I’m not in tip-top shape to be able to go 48 minutes full-bore, but I’m ready to do what it takes, as is everyone else.”

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com