Lakers can make no promises at Rose Garden

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Lakers have found the Rose Garden to be anything but aromatic since it opened in 1995.

The obvious metaphor would be thorny, seeing as how the Lakers are 6-18 up here against the Trail Blazers over the last 13 years, but Coach Phil Jackson didn't even want to touch the topic after Monday's practice.

"The [heck] with that," he said, feigning disgust. "Don't write your story about that."

Jackson probably didn't want to ruin the Lakers' roll -- four consecutive victories while matching strides with San Antonio for second place in the Western Conference -- but the Trail Blazers have definitely had their way with the Lakers, winning five in a row against them at the Rose Garden.

True to form, the Lakers lost in Portland in February, 119-111, as the Trail Blazers shot 52.9% and ended the Lakers' 10-game winning streak. Portland's point total that night was its second-highest this season.

So, what gives?

"They always have a young, energetic, athletic team," Kobe Bryant said. "We always find ourselves coming up here the second night of back-to-backs and catch them when they had a couple days off and they're sitting up here waiting for us. It's been tough."

The Lakers didn't play Monday, so they can't use a back-to-back excuse tonight.

"We'll be ready," Bryant said, smiling.

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Andrew Bynum graduated from playing one-on-one with former players to going up against a current player.

Assistant coaches Kurt Rambis and Brian Shaw took turns against Bynum on Saturday and Sunday, and Chris Mihm went one-on-one with him Monday after practice.

"He's getting a little activity," Jackson said. "He looked pretty good. He's a big kid, he's strong, he's running a lot better. He's still a little bit short [with his shot]. Just a little bit."

"We'll watch him progress along and see if he wants to join the action [in practice] here at the end of the week, see what it looks like. He did some practicing [Monday], but it's not contact, not moving around through traffic and that kind of stuff. But it's close."

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Media reports Monday that the NBA was increasing the age requirement for the draft from 19 to 20 were erroneous, but it still brought up an interesting question -- should the league and NBA Players' Assn. agree to raise the age for turning pro?