Still the exhibition season? Looks like it

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No Pau Gasol, no Luke Walton, and no increase in minutes for any of the Lakers regulars ... yet.

Gasol and Walton will sit out tonight’s exhibition game in Las Vegas against Sacramento because of minor injuries, just a couple of the indicators that this isn’t quite the regular season.

Gasol has a strained right hamstring and Walton a sore back.

Meanwhile, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said he wasn’t going to start increasing the playing time of the starters until next week’s exhibition action.

Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest are averaging only 24 minutes in two exhibition games. Gasol was averaging only 20 minutes a game, as was Lamar Odom.

‘We’ll still spread minutes out,’ Jackson said before tonight’s game. ‘We won’t get into normal minutes yet. Next week will be that time, this weekend will be a little more.’

After tonight, the Lakers have five exhibition games in eight days, including games at Staples Center on Saturday and Sunday.

They begin the regular season Oct. 27 against the Clippers.

--Mike Bresnahan