POSITION CHANGE GETS KOBE IN FLOW BRYANT, ODOM COMBINE FOR 41 LAKERS 91, MEMPHIS 81.

Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer

These were the nights Kobe Bryant had to get through before being able to use the Lakers' four-day break between games this week to strengthen his surgically repaired right knee.

Not that the Lakers weren't above making a change to try and get more out of Bryant than the two points and four shots he had through three quarters in Friday's loss to Detroit.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson moved Bryant to the backcourt and Lamar Odom to the wing Sunday and watched as the twocombined to score 41points in the Lakers' 91-81 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center.

``Just more direction,'' Jackson said, ``and obvious knowledge that (Bryant) has in getting people involved and trying to get us as a team reading defenses a little better.''

There are still no easy nights for the Lakers, even with a 23-point lead in the third quarter and the Grizzlies having 30 points on the scoreboard. The Lakers gave back all but sixof those points before holding on to win.

Damon Stoudamire buried a 3-pointer as Memphis closed to 87-81 with 53.5 seconds left, and the Lakers could have been forgiven for thinking back to last season, when they gave away two games to the Grizzlies in the final minute of regulation.

But Bryant regrouped after nearly getting tied up in the lane to step back and hit a jumper with 34.4 seconds remaining. Bryant finished with 21 points on 7-of-17 shooting with sixassists, six rebounds and five turnovers.

``These four days come at the right time,'' Bryant said.

He also connected on a 3-pointer with 2:44 left that put the Lakers back in front by 11. Even though he struggled with his shot, Bryant was a factor throughout the game, something he wasn't Friday.

``Today was good for him to bring the ball up,'' Odom said. ``It keeps him in rhythm, keeps him going, keeps him warm, and we need him out there.''

Odom finished with 20 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists. Jackson was especially happy with how Odom performed with the shot clock running out. Odom hit a big 3-pointer in such a situation at the end of the third quarter.

``I felt real good,'' Odom said. ``I was able to hit some shots from the outside. It kind of opens my game up a little bit. I got in the post when I needed to, tried to get some guys involved. Tonight we did a great job as a team.''

For all their talk about putting defense first this season, the Lakers came into Sunday ranked among the bottom third of NBA teams in points allowed (102.7 points) and opposing field goal percentage (46.8 percent).

Some of it had to do with the run-and-gun teams the Lakers played in the season's first week. But Jackson thought the Lakers had a bounce-back game against the Grizzlies, giving up 81 points on 38.4 percent shooting.

The Lakers pulled away from the Grizzlies throughout the first half and closed on a 10-1run to take a 49-30 lead. They came out of a 20-second timeout and scored immediately with Brian Cook flipping a pass from the pinch post to Odom for a layup.

They ended on a break after a miss by Mike Miller. Bryant split the Grizzlies defense and floated in a 10-footer at the buzzer.

``I feel like I can turn the jets on if I need to,'' Bryant said. ``Now it's just a matter of getting in sync with the rest of the guys so they know where to look for me in certain situations.''

With Pau Gasol out until January with a broken foot suffered at the world championships, the Grizzlies might be the worst offensive team in the NBA. They came into Sunday shooting 38.8 percent as a team and averaging 87.6 points in regulation.

Lakers center Kwame Brown returned from a shoulder injury to play 17 minutes off the bench. He finished with sixpoints, hitting 3 of 5 shots, and two rebounds.

As expected, Brown struggled with his foul shooting, nearly missing everything on one in the third quarter. He traveled on one possession and was called for an offensive foul on another. But he hit a hook shot to put the Lakers ahead by 17 in the fourth.

Brown took a shot to the shoulder from Memphis center Stromile Swift in the fourth quarter and came out of the game wincing.

``I was a little scared to get it hit,'' Brown said. ``I kind of got twice in a bad position and it made me sore a little bit. We came in here at halftime and worked on it, worked on it after the game. I feel pretty good.''

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(1 -- cover -- color) BEARING DOWN

(2) Lakers star Kobe Bryant splits the gap between Memphis' Eddie Jones, left, and Mike Miller in the second half. Bryant finished with 21 points and six assists.

Edna T. Simpson/Daily News