"Lamar Odom enters tonight's home game against Sacramento with season averages of 6.6 points and 4.8 rebounds _ well below the 14.4-points and 8.7-rebound averages he had last season as a Laker while earning the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award.

Odom makes his return to Los Angeles on Monday, when the Mavericks play the Lakers. He'll have an extended stay in his old stomping grounds because the Mavericks play the Clippers on Wednesday.

"Lamar is not playing where Lamar would like to play, but he continues to contribute," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said. "He does things that you're not going to get elsewhere _ and we're winning, that's all that matters."