LOS ANGELES - Another day, another member of the once-formidable Lakers bench down with an injury.

This time it's Sasha Vujacic who did not fly with the team to Houston on Monday as a result of back spasms. The Lakers are holding out hope he'll be able to join them either for tonight's game against the Rockets or Wednesday's game in San Antonio. The reserve guard injured his back late in the second half of Sunday night's victory over Miami.

"Sasha's had this before so he knows how to work his way through it, but right now the road trip would be tough for him," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.

Vujacic is the fourth member of the Lakers' nine-man rotation to suffer a significant injury in the past month, joining Jordan Farmar (left knee), Luke Walton (right foot) and Lamar Odom (right knee). Farmar will be out until the all-star break, but the news is more encouraging on the other two, with Walton targeting a Friday return against Orlando and Odom a game-time decision tonight in Houston.

Odom participated in a half-court three-on-three drills during Monday's practice, pledging to play against the Rockets if his knee responds well to the activity. The veteran forward has missed three games as a result of a bone bruise to his right kneecap.

"I might try to give it a go, but I'm not sure" Odom said. "It doesn't feel like it felt before I hurt it.

"You only get two knees, a left and a right. In this business, yeah, you worry about it a little bit, but you've just got to take care of it and it will be all right."

Bryant's EYE swollen

The gash above Kobe Bryant's right eye was still swollen and puffy on Monday. Bryant suffered the injury knocking heads with Dwyane Wade in the fourth quarter on Sunday night.

"Not the first time I got bloodied up, and it won't be the last," Bryant said.