While the Lakers were given Thursday off, enough turned up to play three-on-three with injured center Andrew Bynum, the L.A. Times are reporting.

Bynum has missed 29 games recovering from a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee, but he had been training and playing with free agents when the Lakers were on the road. Bynum said he was hopeful that he could play in the last two regular-season games, projecting the Memphis game April 12 at Staples Center as his first one.

"I can't project," Coach Phil Jackson said Thursday, "but there is a chance that he could play in a game before the season is over."

Jackson watched Bynum play three-on-three and noted some progress.

"He's got some hop in his legs," Jackson said. "He looked to block shots -- those type of things that you look for, reactive things and recovery things, both going up quickly and not thinking about it and coming down and containing his body balance and his strength."

"His timing is going to be a little bit off. That's going to be normal. DJ [Mbenga] ate him up today, but that's not unusual. DJ is right in the heart of things."