While Kobe Bryant was able to take a seat courtside to cheer his Lakers teammates on Sunday against the Charlotte Bobcats, the news wasn't quite as good for Lakers head coach Rudy Tomjanovich, who was forced to miss the game with a stomach virus.

The Lakers won the game 101-90.

"Having Kobe over there was definitely a plus," forward Lamar Odom said. "We needed to win, by any means. It was our longest losing streak of the year, so of course it felt good. Chris Mihm played really well tonight, and we needed a game like that from him. He was all over the boards, blocking shots -- he was everywhere."

Frank Hamblen, the only holdover from former coach Phil Jackson's staff, guided the team in Tomjanovich's absence.

"I'm used to seeing Rudy jumping around and being vocal out there, so it was it was strange not seeing him," Mihm said. "But Frank did a great job. He commanded a presence. He kept guys under control, made subs when he needed to and made sure we didn't panic out there."