When Kobe Bryant sits out his third game in a row, you know the Lakers guard really has an injury that has to be treated. Bryant will not play in Wednesday's game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Kobe Bryant (shin) will miss his 2nd straight game tonight at New Orleans.
The Lakers have had mixed results with Kobe out. They did edge out a win against a moribund New Orleans Hornets team on Monday, but that was after getting routed in Phoenix by the surging Suns by 20. Safe to say that the San Antonio is a much stiffer test than either of those two teams and they'll have their hands full trying to guard the effiicent San Antonio machine.
With Kobe Bryant out Monday night in New Orleans, it looked like the Los Angeles Lakers were headed for their third straight defeat. Down seven points to the lowly and undermanned Hornets with 5:21 remaining, the Lakers' grip on the Pacific Division appeared to be slipping. But a late 15-2 run propelled the Lakers to a 93-91 victory over the Hornets to snap their two-game losing skid.
Pau Gasol had 25 points, nine rebounds, and four assists in the win for the Lakers, who shot 46.6% on the night. Ramon Sessions had 17 points, six rebounds, and six assists, and hit a three-pointer that all but sealed the game, giving the Lakers a 92-86 lead with 26.1 seconds remaining.
Andrew Bynum added 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers (36-22).
The Los Angeles Lakers look to snap their two-game losing streak on Monday night, and they will do so without Kobe Bryant. The superstar guard will miss his second straight game with a shin injury as the Lakers battle the New Orleans Hornets in New Orleans. Here are the details of Monday night's game:
Records: Lakers (35-22); Hornets (15-41)
Location: New Orleans Arena
Time: 5 p.m. PDT
TV: KCAL
Home vs. Road: The Lakers are 12-16 on the road this season, and need to win their final five road games to avoid a losing road record on the year. The Hornets are 7-21 at home this season.
Series History: The Lakers have beaten the Hornets six straight times, including twice this season. The game in New Orleans was a 107-101 overtime win on March 14.
Another Shooting Guard Injury: In addition to Bryant, Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon will miss Monday with a back injury, per Mike Trudell of NBA.com.
For all news and information regarding the Los Angeles Lakers, please visit Silver Screen & Roll.
Bryant missed last night's 125-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns as the Lakers couldn't take advantage of their dominant frontline of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum combining for 53 points and 31 rebounds.
Bryant was injured last Saturday in the Lakers' last game against the Hornets but was able to fend off the injury for four games afterwards. Head trainer Gary Vitti sat him down for Sunday's game and tonight's game as well.
Bryant is tops in the league in total minutes played and leads the NBA in scoring at 28.1 points per game. The Lakers are currently the no. 3 seed in the Western Conference with a 35-22 record.
For all news and information regarding the Los Angeles Lakers, please visit Silver Screen & Roll.
