LAKERS NOTEBOOK: SETTING DEFENSIVE TONE.

Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer

CHICAGO -- Before the Lakers' game Friday against Houston, coach Phil Jackson was asked in what area his team could stand to make the most improvement with forward Lamar Odom out a month with a knee injury.

Jackson answered that the Lakers would have to ``reset kind of how we play defense'' and noted the team was losing in Odom ``aguy that we could roam a little bit'' on the defensive end.

That defense was exposed in Sunday's 147-141 overtime loss to Washington. It was the most points the Lakers had given up since a 148-146 overtime loss on March 29, 1981, to Denver.

The Wizards shot 50.6 percent as a team and scored 126 points in regulation.

The Lakers struggled to defend the pick-and-roll, were beaten off backdoor cuts and had no answer for Gilbert Arenas, who scored 60 points, including a league-record 16 in overtime.

Washington came into the game with the NBA's highest scoring trio of players in Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, averaging a combined 65.1 points per game. They combined to score 112 against the Lakers.

It was enough for Kobe Bryant to put defense first in talking about the Lakers' six-game road trip, which begins tonight against Chicago. The Lakers are 10-1 this season when they give up 100 points or fewer.

``It's all about defense,'' Bryant said. ``You've got to pack in the lane. You've got to stop guys from getting to the free-throw line and contest shots. So defensively is where we really have to pick it up.

``You just want to improve on the road. You just want to have a steady improvement, and defensively is really where we have to step it up and give a better effort consistently, especially being shorthanded with Lamar out.''

The Lakers have given up an average of 104.8 points in regulation in their four games without Odom, counting last Tuesday's game at Houston in which Odom was injured two minutes in.

They will have every opportunity to make a stand against the Bulls, a team they held to 72 points in a victory last month. Jackson also has chosen Chicago as the one team this season for which he personally prepares the scouting report. The Bulls have won 11 of their past 12 games, overcoming a terrible start to the season with a home-heavy month at United Center.

They also could expose some of the Lakers' rebounding deficiencies without Odom. The Lakers have been outrebounded in all four games without Odom while Ben Wallace has grabbed 20, 27 and 15 rebounds by himself in Chicago's last three games.

Heavy load: Without Odom, Bryant has been forced to return to his do- everything ways.

He has averaged 38.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 26.5shots and 47 minutes in fourgames.

The Lakers will have to monitor Bryant's minutes with the second game of a back-to-back set coming Wednesday at Minnesota. The trip continues to New Jersey, Miami, Orlando and Charlotte from there.

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- Ross Siler