SAN ANTONIO — The Lakers’ Lamar Odom is one of the most dynamic third options in all of basketball, as Denver sports fans have surely tried to forget.
Once riding shotgun next to the best player in basketball, Odom took a back seat because of the midseason arrival of center Pau Gasol. But Odom has adjusted ideally. He has played big games in each of the Lakers’ playoff rounds, notably his 17 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in Game 1 against the Nuggets.
In Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, Odom scored 20 points and had 12 rebounds against the Spurs.
He crashed the boards admirably in Sunday’s Game 3, grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds. But he struggled in his shooting, going 2-for-11 from the field and 3-for-8 at the free-throw line. He finished with seven points.
Asked about how Gasol has changed Odom’s game, coach Phil Jackson said it has relaxed Odom: “It has taken decisions away from Lamar, having to make bigger decisions like, ‘Should I shoot this shot? Do I have to get active? Kobe (Bryant) is out of the game, do I have to take on the role of scorer?’ Those type of things. He has done a good job at it. But it is a pressure situation, which he’s better off just staying in what comes available in transition or opportunities that present themselves.”
Phil’s thoughts.
In the Eastern Conference finals, the Boston Celtics finally won a road game after starting 0-6 and enter tonight’s Game 4 up 2-1 on Detroit.
“Boston has always been able to have home-court advantage — it is something to rely on,” Jackson said. “And they lost that reliance by losing at home (in Game 2), and they came out very aggressive. (In Game 3) they looked, you know, like they’re back to their normal selves.”
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
