Gasol ill; Odom back in lineup

Lamar Odom was back in the starting lineup, though not entirely in circumstances dictated by the Lakers.

Odom started for the first time since last season’s playoffs, taking the place of Pau Gasol, who was day-to-day because of strep throat.

Gasol has been the Lakers’ steadiest player this season, averaging 18 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game.

It was obvious the Lakers missed him Tuesday against the New York Knicks, who took a 15-point halftime lead.

“In Pau and Kobe Bryant, we’ve got two MVP candidates,” Odom said. “If the season ended right now, I think both of these guys could win. Two on the same team.”

Gasol arrived 90 minutes before the game but was sent home.

“He was pretty sick,” Odom said.

Odom, for his part, has maintained a sense of humor since a training camp blow-up when he heard that Coach Phil Jackson planned to use him as a reserve.

Before Tuesday’s game, he joked that he would return to the starting lineup, saying “whatever needs to be done will be done.”

“I’ll start, come off the bench, cheerlead, coach, sweep the floor,” he said. “It’ll be a nice Nike campaign. Sell pretzels, beer, box out, get a rebound, start a fight.”

Then he smiled.

“No, I wouldn’t start a fight.”

One thing still irritates him -- his overall game.

“I miss playing well,” he said. “I haven’t been playing well.”

He was averaging 8.5 points, six rebounds and 2.2 assists a game before Tuesday. He had 17 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the 116-114 victory over New York.

The Lakers didn’t really demonstrate it against New York, but defense continued to be a key, Odom said, even though he equated it to an inglorious job.

“No one talks about the nose tackle, you know what I’m saying? You don’t really get props for it,” he said.

Then he added that the Lakers needed a “linebacker mentality” and to employ “football team defense . . . being nasty.”

Etc.

Coby Karl played his second game in as many weeks at Staples Center, collecting 15 points, eight assists and eight rebounds in the Idaho Stampede’s 92-81 victory over the D-Fenders, the Lakers’ Development League affiliate. Joe Crawford, who, like Karl, was waived by the Lakers at the end of the exhibition season, had 10 points and four assists for the D-Fenders.

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mike.bresnahan@latimes.com