Jackson Isn’t Seeing Spots Yet

Forget all the potential playoff scenarios for a moment. The Lakers say their postseason fate could hinge less on where they finish in the standings than on how they’re playing on the court.

“The only issue that we’re concerned about is winning and trying to win every game,” Coach Phil Jackson said Wednesday. “It’s not about six or seven or eight [in the Western Conference standings] or anything else, it’s about really getting a rhythm and playing as well as we can.”

The Lakers open their final trip of the season tonight in Denver against the Nuggets before traveling to Phoenix for a game against the Suns on Friday. A solid showing against a pair of playoff-bound teams could go a long way toward proving that the Lakers are ready for their first postseason appearance in two years.

“It’s a good test for us, two good teams back to back on the road,” guard Kobe Bryant said. “We’ll see what we’re made of a little bit.”

Said forward Lamar Odom: “These are playoff teams, and you want to play well against them.”

Jackson, whose team has won six of seven games, said he did not consider this trip a measuring stick for the Lakers’ playoff readiness because they are not at full strength. Neither rookie center Andrew Bynum (ankle and foot) nor center Chris Mihm (ankle) will accompany the team on the trip.

“If you had a couple of days’ preparation and you had a full squad of players, it would be something different,” Jackson said. “We’re still a long way from where we want to be” when the playoffs start.

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After all these years, Bryant couldn’t believe that he was still being asked about the challenge of facing Denver swingman Ruben Patterson, the self-proclaimed “Kobe Stopper.”

“Oh, come off it, are you kidding me?” Bryant said incredulously. “Last time I had like 40 against the guy.”

Actually, Bryant scored 27 points on 11-for-19 shooting during the Lakers’ 99-82 victory over Patterson’s Portland Trail Blazers on Feb. 21, two days before the Nuggets acquired Patterson as part of a four-team trade.

Bryant called Patterson, a former Laker, a “good friend” and said he was happy that Patterson was able to leave cellar-dwelling Portland for a playoff-bound team.

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Bryant, the NBA’s leading scorer at 34.8 points a game, said there was no need to rest by playing reduced minutes in the final seven games of the regular season because “we haven’t done anything.... After we win a couple of rings, then maybe we can relax a little bit.”

TONIGHT

at Denver, 7:30 PDT, Channel 9, TNT

Site -- Pepsi Center.

Radio -- 570, 1330.

Records -- Lakers 40-35; Nuggets 41-34.

Record vs. Nuggets -- 2-0.

Update -- Bryant said the Lakers must take good shots and avoid turnovers to prevent the Nuggets from pushing the pace in an effort to capitalize on the altitude.