The Los Angeles Lakers will look for their fifth win in six games on the current road trip tonight, but they may be facing the Charlotte Bobcats without their best player. Kobe Bryant is feeling sick today, and skipped morning shootaround in Charlotte this morning, according to a series of tweets from beat writer Mike Trudell of NBA.com:
Kobe Bryant missed today's with "aches" and "chills," acc. to the LAL staff.
Phil Jackson said he'd have to wait & see how Kobe feels prior to the game at Charlotte before determining Bryant's status.
Bryant, as Trudell also noted, usually plays through such things, but the concern is there at least. That Jackson called it a game-time decision at least casts some doubt on his status for tonight. If I were a betting man -- and I am -- I would bet Kobe plays tonight against the Bobcats, who have beaten the Lakers in seven of their last nine meetings.
In Bobcats news, they may be without point guard D.J. Augustin tonight, who is a game-time decision with a sprained left wrist, according to Mike Cranston of the Associated Press. Head coach Paul Silas told Cranston that Augustin won't play. In addition, Boris Diaw missed morning shootaround this morning because he overslept. That's never a good sign for an old school coach like Silas, who said Eduardo Najera will start in place of Diaw, also per Cranston.
For more information on tonight's game, be sure to read Silver Screen and Roll.