SALT LAKE CITY — Not a great day for the Lakers, even though it was the end of the week and the snow looked fresh on the nearby mountaintops.
While the Lakers were still pondering Andrew Bynum's playoff slump and Kobe Bryant's Game 3 shooting skid, word trickled out that Utah Jazz center Mehmet Okur would make his playoff debut tonight in Game 4.
Then Coach Phil Jackson revealed he was considering a lineup change at center, preceded a few minutes earlier by Adam Morrison and Sasha Vujacic mixing it up at practice, pushing each other and exchanging words toward the end of a scrimmage.
The Lakers lead the Jazz, 2-1, in a best-of-seven series. Can't they all just get along?
Jackson sat off to the side in flip-flops, casually taking in everything. He has seen worse, for sure.
He might also see visions of a different starting center tonight, saying Friday it was "possible" that changes could be coming.
"We'd like him to play [better]," he said of Bynum. "We'll see what will happen."
Bynum is averaging seven points, three rebounds and four fouls this series, so Lamar Odom might be elevated from the bench to start against Carlos Boozer. Pau Gasol would slide over to center to guard the versatile Okur, who led the Jazz in three-point percentage (44.6%) and was second in scoring (17 points).
Jackson practically welcomed the return of Okur, sidelined by a strained hamstring since April 13.
"I think it'd be good for us," he said. "I think that's what we need. We need to have a lineup out there that challenges us and makes us play the way we should play."
Meanwhile, Bryant couldn't recollect the last time he shot as poorly as he did in Game 3.
"I don't know," he said. "Can't remember."
It was Dec. 20, 2004, a two-for-16 outing in an 82-72 home loss to Memphis.
On Thursday, Bryant missed his first five shots, was one for 10 in the first half and finished five for 24 (20.8%). He missed eight of his last nine shots as the Lakers fell, 88-86.
Bynum couldn't stay on the court long enough to do much beyond four points and two rebounds in seven minutes. He had five fouls and did not play in the fourth quarter.
"These guys have to lock down the definition of who they're playing against," Jackson said.
"When I asked [Bynum] what Jarron Collins is known for, the first thing he said was, 'He flops on offensive fouls.' [Collins] created a foul in that type of situation that got him his fourth foul and put him in jeopardy."
