It appears Kobe Bryant could return Sunday night. Oddly enough, that might make the Phoenix Suns happier than it does Bryant's teammates.
The last time they played at home, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the NBA's top team even with Bryant sidelined. Now he may be back on the Staples Center floor - with a potentially reduced role - looking to beat the Suns for the first time in nearly two years and end their hot streak.
The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. on FOX Sports Arizona.
"I think he feels pretty good about going for Sunday's game," coach Byron Scott said before Friday's 102-98 loss in Dallas.
The 36-year-old Bryant hadn't missed a game this season before sitting out the last three due to soreness in his knees, feet, back and Achilles tendons. He hasn't played since last Sunday, when he shot 8 for 30 in a 108-101 defeat to Sacramento.
Two days later without Bryant, Los Angeles (9-21) knocked off league-best Golden State 115-105. After seven Lakers scored in double figures and the team tied a season high with 28 assists, veteran Nick Young may have taken an indirect jab at Bryant by saying, "Some guys just played free tonight and did their thing. They had no handcuffs on them."
The last two games minus Bryant were road losses with sub-40 percent shooting performances, but Los Angeles was competitive well into the fourth quarter against red-hot Chicago and gave the Mavericks a tough time after losing to them by 36 last month.
"I thought we got good shots (and should) keep shooting it," guard Jeremy Lin told the team's official website. "... I thought in general we made the right play at the right time."
Many are questioning if Bryant is doing that enough. He's taking 22.4 field-goal attempts per game, tops in the league and 10 more than any teammate. The Lakers are 2-8 when he shoots 25 or more. They're 3-0 when he has at least nine assists.
The league's No. 3 all-time scorer after recently passing Michael Jordan, Bryant is averaging five more minutes per game than any teammate (35.5) despite missing all but six games last season with a knee injury.
Scott said he may cut Bryant's playing time.
"We both thought that 30-40 minute mark was pretty good," Scott said. "Obviously we're going to have to adjust that a little bit. But this is new for both of us."
Bryant totaled four assists and a whopping 62 shots in two matchups with the Suns (17-14) this season, and the Lakers lost both. He had what remains a season-high 37 field-goal attempts and hit only 14 in a 112-106 home loss to Phoenix on Nov. 4 in the last meeting.
The Suns have won six of the past seven matchups, including all three which Bryant has played. He hasn't been part of a Lakers victory in the series since Feb. 12, 2013.
Balanced scoring has led to Phoenix winning a season-high five straight. Six Suns have scored in double figures in four of those games, including Friday's 115-106 win in Sacramento.
"We're small a lot of times. We get hurt on the boards some times. But the guys play hard," coach Jeff Hornacek said.
One of those small guys playing big is 6-foot-1 Eric Bledsoe, averaging 19.0 points and 8.5 rebounds over the past four games.
The win streak coincides with the return of fellow starting guard Goran Dragic, averaging 17.4 points in the five games after missing two with a back strain. The 5-9 Isaiah Thomas has scored 17.3 per game in the past six, and he's averaged 23.7 in his last three matchups with the Lakers.
The Suns are seeking their first five-game road winning streak since February 2011.
