Bynum apparently got a lot better in one day

SALT LAKE CITY -- Uh, nevermind.

The Andrew Bynum injury situation took an unusual turn Wednesday when Lakers Coach Phil Jackson stepped back from his Tuesday night decree that the 20-year-old center wouldn't return from a knee injury until the playoffs.

Bynum could now return two weeks from Sunday, Jackson said, which would give him up to six games with the Lakers before playoffs.

"I threw that out there [Tuesday] to kind of take everything off the table," Jackson said. "We're [now] saying it was three weeks as of [last] Sunday. It would give him a week -- four games, three games."

Or more.

The team initially said Bynum would miss at least eight weeks, although Jackson said Wednesday that "12 weeks was kind of like that outside parameter."

That mark would be April 6. The Lakers play at Sacramento that night. They have five more regular-season games after that.

The Lakers will take a healthy Bynum as soon as they can, what with the frenetic Western Conference standings. The Lakers (46-21) now find themselves tied for first with New Orleans after the Hornets dealt Houston (46-22) a second consecutive defeat.

Still, Jackson cautioned that Bynum would need time to get in shape and catch up to the speed of the game after being out since mid-January.

"The reality is if he comes back and he plays the Sunday game and the Tuesday game before the season's over, great. It's still not going to get our rotation [settled]," he said. "It's going to be an exercise in kind of getting him back on the court."

Jackson seemed upbeat about another injury, saying Pau Gasol's sprained left ankle was healing quickly.

"We're really pleased," Jackson said. "He's come around and he was actually on the court [Wednesday] shooting jumpers a little bit."

Gasol will not play tonight against Utah or Friday against Seattle. Jackson was vague when asked if Gasol would play Sunday or Monday in back-to-back games against Golden State.

"I want him to come back and do it the right way," Jackson said.

Gasol, averaging 18.8 points and 7.9 rebounds with the Lakers, has missed two games because of his ankle.

The Lakers have many memories from their last trip to Utah, none of which they particularly cherish.

The Jazz ran up, down, over and through them in a 120-96 victory in November. And that was without two starters -- Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur.