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Lakers look to snap seven-game skid

Mar 16, 2007 - 2:55 PM Portland (26-38) at LA Lakers (33-32) 10:30 pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- This is uncharted territory for Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson.

Jackson will look to snap the first seven-game losing streak of his illustrious 16-year coaching career when the Lakers host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.

One of the best coaches in NBA history, Jackson won six NBA championships with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. He then took over in Los Angeles and guided Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal to three titles.

But his second tenure with the Lakers has been more difficult. With O'Neal playing in Miami, Jackson is guiding a young squad which is trying to mesh with Bryant. However, injuries to forwards Lamar Odom and Luke Walton have the Lakers spiraling in the Western Conference.

Jackson and the Lakers were fined $50,000 apiece on Thursday for complaining that the NBA is on a "witch hunt" against Bryant, who has received two one-game suspensions for hitting defenders in the face after they blocked his shot.

On Thursday, Los Angeles continued its skid with a 113-86 loss to Denver. Odom and Walton returned and combined for just 22 points.

With the loss, the Lakers are percentage points behind the Nuggets (32-31) for the sixth spot in the Western Conference.

The Trail Blazers have dropped six of their last eight games, including an 87-75 loss to Detroit on Wednesday. Zach Randolph had 21 points and 11 rebounds and rookie LaMarcus Aldridge collected 14 and 10.