FOR LAKERS, WIN OVER BUCKS IS REASONABLE BRYANT SCORES 43, AND KWAME HAS ANOTHER STRONG GAME LAKERS 101, MILWAUKEE 96.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

Whatever the motivation, the Lakers had to find it for a game Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks that just seemed to show up on the schedule in late March.

They should have no similar problems Sunday with the Hornets coming to Staples Center and a chance to go four games up in the Western Conference standings with 10 games to play.

The Lakers moved another game closer to returning to the playoffs and fulfilling the mandate with which Phil Jackson returned as coach, beating the Bucks 101-96 for their first three-game winning streak since Jan. 16.

It came as Kobe Bryant scored 43 points and put on a 3-point shooting show in the first quarter and Kwame Brown built on his 21-point, 12-rebound game Wednesday against Sacramento.

It came with Lamar Odom continuing his remarkable shooting from beyond the arc as part of a 15-0 third-quarter run and Smush Parker coming up with a big steal with 48.9 seconds remaining against Michael Redd.

The Lakers beat the Bucks for the 10th consecutive time - their longest winning streak against any NBA team - and now sit 1 1/2 games ahead of the Kings for seventh and three games ahead of the Hornets for eighth.

The Hornets suffered a 96-82 loss to Chicago on Friday night and are 1-9 in their past 10 games.

``We just want to continue to win these games out,'' Bryant said. ``We want to defend our home court. It's going to be a big game. They had a tough one tonight. I'm sure they're looking forward to coming in here and playing us on Sunday.''

Although he suffered a minor hamstring pull in the fourth quarter, Brown finished with 16 points and nine rebounds and made a number of plays that showed just how far he has come in recent games.

When Odom sent an alley-oop pass sailing over Brown's head in the second quarter, the 6-foot-11 big man snagged it one-handed and threw down a thunderous dunk. For once, Brown's notoriously bad hands didn't let him down.

Brown also finished around the basket, took a charge against Redd in the third quarter, sank both free throws (never a guarantee) with 4:21 left and pulled down a critical offensive rebound with 22 seconds remaining.

It has been a remarkable turnaround for Brown, who delivered again for the Lakers in place of the injured Chris Mihm. He also was on the court Friday with two other former No. 1 overall picks in Andrew Bogut and Joe Smith.

``There's no thinking involved,'' Brown said. ``I know I'm going to play. I know I have to be there on the offensive end a little more than I was instead of just rebounding and playing defense. Just trying to step up to the challenge.''

Odom had a quiet first half but made back-to-back 3-pointers to cap the Lakers' 15-0 run in the third plus another 3-pointer later in the quarter. He finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

As long as teams keep giving him the 3-point shot, as Toni Kukoc and the Bucks did Friday, Odom will continue taking it. He is 24 of 42 (57.1 percent) from long range in March.

``That's one of the adjustments he's had to make to this offense,'' Bryant said of Odom, ``because in the past, he's never really been like a catch-and-shoot guy.''

Parker also atoned for a night when he went 1 of 6 from 3-point range by jumping on a pick-and-roll in the final minute and poking the ball free from Redd.

Devean George scooped up the ball and tossed it over his shoulder to Parker, who streaked the other way for a two-handed dunk that pushed the Lakers in front 95-90.

``I just told Devean I was going to jump out and try to scare him a little bit,'' Parker said, ``and he put the ball in my face.''

Bryant went 12 of 26 for the game, including 14 of 14 from the foul line. It was his 21st 40-point game of the season.

Ross Siler, [phone]

ross.siler(at)dailynews.com

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Kobe Bryant goes up for a shot against Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut in Friday's game.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

(2) Center Andrew Bynum blocks a shot by Milwaukee's Dan Gadzuric (UCLA) in the Lakers' victory over the Bucks on Friday night at Staples Center.

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images