Lakers suffer big loss in win

The Lakers moved back into the realm of the winning after a ragged triple-overtime loss to the Charlotte Bobcats, but at what cost?

Kwame Brown left a 104-94 victory Sunday over the struggling Philadelphia 76ers with a severely sprained left ankle. X-rays were inconclusive, with further testing to come today and an upcoming absence to be measured in weeks, not days.

Brown landed awkwardly on Andre Miller’s foot after blocking the shot of the 76ers’ guard with 9:18 left in the third quarter. He was helped off the Staples Center court by Ronny Turiaf and Vladimir Radmanovic.

“He said he was out over a week the last time he had a severely sprained ankle in Washington,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. “We don’t know a timetable for this, but I would expect it to be at least that. I think there’s going to be some time involved in this.”

The injuries continue to collect for the Lakers, with forward Lamar Odom out until at least mid-January, center Chris Mihm out for the season and now Brown, who had a forgettable, turnover-filled game Friday in Charlotte, but whose absence leaves the Lakers wispy-thin in the big-man department.

The Lakers don’t play again until Thursday at Sacramento, and it will mean more minutes for Andrew Bynum and Ronny Turiaf. Bynum is averaging 7.2 points and 5.1 rebounds, and hasn’t started a game since losing his job to Brown on Nov. 30, a span of 17 games.

“That’s all we have left out there,” Jackson said. “We are getting in a position where we are going to have to be bucking up and taking care of some business inside.”

Jackson declined to reveal whether the 19-year-old Bynum or Turiaf, 24 this month, would start against Sacramento. Turiaf is averaging 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds.

“I’m not sure Andrew’s quite ready to step into that role on a full-time level,” Jackson said. “I won’t make that decision until I kind of check out how I feel about that. I might keep Andrew off the bench and use Ronny as the starter.”

Brown seemed in decent spirits as he walked out of the trainer’s room with a walking boot on his lower left leg and wooden crutches under his arms. He had been needled by Jackson on two occasions last week and had three costly turnovers in the third overtime against Charlotte, but he put up a brave front Sunday, even managing a smile or two.

“It’s killing me right now,” said Brown, who stayed down under the basket for an extra 27 seconds as play continued at the other end. “I was in pain. I couldn’t say anything. I was about to start crying, but there’s too many fans in there.”

Brown was averaging 8.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in 24 games.

Jackson took a light-hearted look at the assortment of injuries racked up by his top center, a list that now includes a shoulder, a wrist, an ankle and a knee (he wore a brace on his right knee Sunday because of recent swelling).

“We do have a medical skeleton in our locker room and we pick a part of the body that Kwame’s going to be involved with after [a game], but no one picked an ankle,” Jackson said.

As for the game, every player scored for the Lakers.

Victory came against one of the league’s worst teams -- Philadelphia is 8-22 -- but the Lakers will take it after losing to a Charlotte team that had won only seven times.

Kobe Bryant scored 35 points on efficient 15-for-22 shooting, and the reserves got plenty of playing time.

The Lakers had an occasional lapse -- Bryant carelessly lobbed the ball to neither Luke Walton nor Maurice Evans on a three-on-none breakaway near the end of the third quarter -- but there were more moments to savor than forget.

Smush Parker was quietly productive with 12 points, five assists and two leaps over the courtside seats to chase loose balls. He proclaimed with a smile after the second jump, “I’m tired of doing this.”

It was a solid start to an in-and-out-of-town month, with seven home games and six on the road before a monster eight-game trip starts Jan. 30 in New York.

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mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

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KEYS TO THE GAME

* After experiencing a litany of defensive breakdowns against Charlotte, the Lakers held Philadelphia to 39.5% shooting.

* The Lakers’ bench scored 36 points after totaling 20 in a three-overtime loss against Charlotte.

* Kobe Bryant played a strong all-around game, with 35 points, eight rebounds and six assists. He made 15 of 22 shots.

-- MIKE BRESNAHAN