Odom Sprains Ankle; Cook Ill

Just another day at Laker practice, with Lamar Odom propping up a sprained ankle, Brian Cook shuffling on and off the court because of flu-like symptoms and Kobe Bryant not even making it because of flu.

The Lakers, down to 11 able-bodied players for their next two games because of Bryant’s two-game suspension for a flagrant foul, were down to 9 1/2 by the end of Saturday’s practice, with Cook coming in and out and Odom resting after sustaining a minor right-ankle sprain.

Odom said he would play tonight against Utah and Cook is expected to play, or at least try to. Either way, there wasn’t much sympathy from Laker Coach Phil Jackson.

“We’re playing against a team that’s had a zillion more injuries than we have this season,” he said.

With Bryant out for a home-and-home against Utah after intentionally elbowing Memphis guard Mike Miller in the chin Wednesday, the Lakers would be wise to try to get healthy, which Jackson doesn’t think will be a problem.

“Believe me, all these guys are licking their chops thinking, ‘There’s 30 shots out there that are available to us,’ ” Jackson said before offering a slight suggestion to those who will play. “The quality of shots are really what’s important.”

Bryant, averaging 32.7 points and 26.3 shots, could be replaced in the starting lineup by Von Wafer, a shoot-first, worry-about-it-later rookie from Florida State.

Wafer, averaging 0.8 points in only five games, ran with the first unit most of Saturday. He has managed to take 10 shots in 19 minutes this season, making two of them.

“He just sees himself, the ball and the rim,” Odom said. “The other nine guys, he’s just like shadow-boxing with them. I try to tell him sometimes to know who he’s on the court with and pick his spots, jab-jab-jab-hook. He’s like hook-hook-hook-hook.”

Jackson would not indicate who would be Bryant’s replacement but did allow that “sometimes it’s good to have a wild horse out there.”

Wafer a wild horse? Makes sense to him.

“I feel confident I can make it,” he said, “so why not take it?”

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Odom, who was injured when he came down on a teammate’s foot, said he understood the importance of trying to play tonight. “I could play with pain,” he said.... Jackson, asked if Bryant’s foul would have been called in the rough-and-tumble old NBA days: “That would have instigated a fight. People would have fought over that if you did something like that. You weren’t playing the person as a basketball player, you were out there to initiate activity and that kind of rough stuff.” ... Bryant is allowed to practice during his suspension.

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TONIGHT

vs. Utah, 6:30, FSN West

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 570, 1330.

Records -- Lakers 15-14, Jazz 14-16.

Record vs. Jazz -- 1-0.

Update -- Sasha Vujacic’s three-pointer with 20.1 seconds left in overtime was the deciding factor in the Lakers’ 105-101 victory over the Jazz on Dec. 1. Jazz forward Carlos Boozer has not played this season because of a hamstring injury and Andrei Kirilenko has missed 10 games because of ankle and back problems.

Tickets -- (800) 462-2849 or ticketmaster.com.