Celtics at Lakers
Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson is unsure when Kobe Bryant will return from an ankle injury, but a matchup between the last two NBA champions might be enough motivation for the superstar
guard to get back on the court.
With Bryant’s status in question for Thursday’s home game against Boston, the Western Conference-leading Lakers will try to win their fourth in a row over the Celtics since losing Game 6 of the NBA finals in 2008.
Bryant, the NBA’s fourth-leading scorer with 28.0 points per game, has missed the last four games – in addition to Sunday’s All-Star game – with a sprained left ankle.
"It’s purely up to him (when he returns)," Jackson said before Tuesday’s 104-94 victory over Golden State. "When he’s ready to play, we’ll encourage him to play."
If Bryant does play in his first game since Feb. 5, he will become the youngest player in NBA history to appear in 1,000 games, breaking the record held by Boston’s Kevin Garnett.
Bryant’s absence has not slowed down the defending champion Lakers (42-13), who are undefeated without the 12-time All-Star. Starting for Bryant on Tuesday, Shannon Brown had career highs with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Ron Artest, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom led Los Angeles in scoring the previous three games.
"We’ve got a really good team. But with Kobe, we’re one of the all-time great teams – because he’s one of the all-time great players," Artest said. "We need Kobe back, but he’s got to get healthy first and foremost."
Despite spraining his ankle two nights earlier at Philadelphia and missing 12 of his first 19 shots, Bryant hit a jumper over Ray Allen with 7.3 seconds remaining that lifted the Lakers to a 90-89 victory in Boston on Jan. 31. Los Angeles trailed by as many as 11 in the fourth quarter.
"I didn’t say give me one more chance. I said give me the damn ball," Bryant said. "I never really give (coach Jackson) much of a choice."
The Atlantic Division-leading Celtics (33-18) lost five of eight prior to the All-Star break but started the second half of their season on a positive note, winning 95-92 at Sacramento on Tuesday night.
Paul Pierce and Rasheed Wallace each had 17 points for Boston, which is in the midst of playing five straight on the road. The Celtics had dropped eight of their previous 12 away from home after losing once in their first 14 road games.
"I’m happy, the first win on this road trip was big for us," coach Doc Rivers said. "I don’t know what tone we set, but we got a win and now we have to move to the next game. That is how we are approaching the next 31 games. We’re not looking ahead, we’re not sending messages. We’re just trying to win this game, get better tonight and focus on the next game."
Pierce, a Los Angeles native, has enjoyed plenty of success when he returns home to face the Lakers, averaging 27.1 points and 5.7 rebounds in 10 career games.
In the teams’ last meeting at Staples Center, Bryant had 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists as the Lakers won 92-83 on Dec. 25, 2008, to snap the Celtics’ franchise-record 19-game winning streak.
Posted: 2/17/10 10:13PM ET