As they return to the winning ways to which they have become so accustomed, the Los Angeles Lakers are leaning heavily on Lamar Odom.

LO answered the call and was once again effective on Tuesday night, helping the Lakers to their fourth straight win, a 106-99 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

What his performance didn't have in splendor, it made up for in efficiency and it was another silky smooth shooting night for the versatile No. 7. He hit 50 percent (3-6) of his shots from the field and also drained 1 of 2 attempts from past the three-point line.

LO converted his three buckets, plus a triad of free throw attempts into 10 points, the third time in four games he’s hit double digits on the scoreboard. No. 7 also hit his uniform number on the glass, pulling in seven rebounds.

Lamar started collecting boards in the first quarter, grabbing two in three minutes. Starting the second, he dished to Pau Gasol for his first assist of the night, then found Kobe Bryant later in the period for his second.

With five minutes left in the third, LO came off the bench and promptly drained a three, putting the Lakers ahead by double digits. He then closed out the quarter with a layup, extending the LA lead back to 11.

In the final period, he hit Gasol again for his third and final dime of the night, made a layup and then, with the clock winding down, nailed two attempts at the charity stripe to keep a Sacramento comeback at bay.

GOLDEN GAME
While LO's stats where solid on the evening, it didn’t come close to his output against Golden State, a performance Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times said is a good sign for Los Angeles fans.

"Lamar Odom finally got his groove back, and the Golden State Warriors saw firsthand how difficult the Lakers forward can be when his game is on. Odom had a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. He feels as if he has found something."

As many players in the NBA do as the season winds toward its end, LO is dealing with some nagging injuries that have hindered his abilities, as Turner writes:

"Physically, Odom is hurting, even though he has tried to deny anything is wrong. He has been playing with his right index finger taped to his right middle finger. He wore a light vest during Monday night's game to protect his upper body. He had a difficult time raising his arms during the Phoenix Suns game on Friday night."

Lamar keeps playing and refuses to make excuses, but No. 7 did concede that some of his bumps and bruises are affecting not just how he plays, but how he thinks.

"I had a wall. I think it might have been physical and mental. The physical part might have led to it being mental."

But while he’s certainly sore and definitely not healed, the Package said he's already broken through the wall.

"I feel good now. I got my workout before the game. I know what I want to go to and when I want to get there, as far as seeing the game and having a feel for the game. I feel pretty good. I'm going to get my looks and I know how I'm going to get them."

NEXT UP
No. 7 will have a few days to rest his body. The Lakers don’t suit up again until Friday, when they play the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Staples Center.

RELATED STORIES
Lamar Odom’s double-double key to Lakers win (L.A. Times, March 16, 2010)
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/16/sports/la-sp-0317-lakers-lamar-o...

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