Odom practices, hopes to play Friday

Kobe Bryant was told he didn’t have to practice Tuesday, so he stuck around and worked out in an adjacent room. What he saw a little later through a window to the Lakers’ practice court made him smile.

Forward Lamar Odom was working up a sweat, running up and down full-bore with teammates in a scrimmage -- passing, rebounding and scoring.

Just what the doctor ordered.

“He looked really, really good,” Bryant said. “I didn’t know what to expect, to be honest with you, because I really haven’t seen him working out aside from just the therapy he was doing at the side of the court. He looked great.”

Odom has sat out 21 games because of a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee. He was expected to play Friday against Charlotte, his first game since landing awkwardly after an off-balance drive to the basket Dec. 12 against the Houston Rockets.

“I felt good,” Odom said. “Refreshing. Rehab is 10 times harder than practice physically and, after a while, mentally. [Friday] is my target date. That’s what I’m aiming at. Hopefully I can get cleared by the doctor and don’t have any swelling or tightness from practicing out here, and [can] come out here and help my team win some games -- help our team.”

Odom was off to possibly the best start in his eight-year career, averaging 17.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists. The Lakers are 13-9 without him, including the game in which he was hurt, a victory over the Rockets.

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The injury news wasn’t as good Tuesday for center Kwame Brown, who left the court in pain after taking part in half-court and full-court drills. Brown has been out since sustaining a severely sprained right ankle Dec. 31.

“Kwame won’t be on the floor Friday,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “When you sprain the ankle the way he sprained his ankle, you actually get a bone bruise out of it. There’s a direction in which he moves that creates some contact, that creates pain.”

Brown probably also won’t play Sunday against San Antonio, but he will travel with the team for an eight-game trip that begins next Tuesday in New York. Brown acknowledged he had to “take a few steps back,” but Jackson remained optimistic.

“On this road trip, he’ll be able to probably get back on the floor,” Jackson said.

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mike.bresnahan@latimes.com