The wait continues.
Kobe Bryant will miss his fourth consecutive
game when the Lakers host the Denver Nuggets on Friday at Staples Center
because of a sore left shin.
Although he said Bryant "definitely
is improving," Lakers Coach Mike Brown remained noncommital whether he
would play Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks.
Bryant missed
Friday's morning shootaround to receive treatment on his shin and didn't
speak to reporters. He hasn't worn a walking boot since Tuesday to see
how his shin reacted without it. Bryant has tenosynovitis, a condition
that causes the tendon sheath to become inflamed and causes pain
whenever the tendon slides in or out of it.
Despite the
uncertainty regarding Bryant, Brown remains more concerned about his
recovery before the playoffs start than how the Lakers will adjust
without him in the lineup. The Lakers have gone 2-1 during Bryant's
absence and have gone 17-18 overall without him since the 2004-05
season.
"There's really no adjustments," Brown said. "We just
keep playing the way we're playing. Kobe did a great job when he was
playing with us.... Kobe has been in the game a long time that when he
was playing, I didn't call a ton of plays for him. I only called plays
for him at the end of the game. He just finds shots during the course of
the game. Without Kobe, it's a blow from the standpoint that he's a
big-time closer but other than that, our guys have an understanding on
how we want to play."
--Mark Medina
