The Los Angeles Lakers return home Friday night to host the Denver Nuggets, but they will have to try to win their third straight game without Kobe Bryant. The superstar guard will miss his fourth straight game with a shin injury, technically left shin tenosynovitis.
The Lakers say Bryant's status for Sunday's home showdown with the Dallas Mavericks is uncertain.
Not that the Lakers won't miss Bryant in Friday's game against the Nuggets, but Kobe has had some bad shooting nights against Denver this season. Bryant made six of 18 shots in the Lakers' December 31 win over the Nuggets, and that 33.3% shooting mark is his best of his three games against Denver this season. In three games against Denver this season, Bryant has made 19 of 69 field goals (27.5%).
Bryant will now have missed 99 games in his 16-year career.
Andrew Bynum, who grabbed a career high 30 rebounds in Wednesday's win in San Antonio, has averaged 23.0 points and 13.0 rebounds against the Nuggets this season, while making 69.8% of his field goals.
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