Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has a sprained left ankle and is officially listed as day to day, a team spokesman told reporters on Monday.
“He says he’ll play,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said of Bryant’s status for Tuesday’s pivotal Game 5 with the Lakers’ first-round series tied 2-2.
Bryant’s injury occurred late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 93-88 Game 4 loss to the New Orleans Hornets while Bryant was defending Hornets guardWillie Green. He turned his ankle over and fell into Green, causing a foul.
Bryant spent Monday undergoing extensive treatment on the ankle, according to Jackson, including icing, electrostimulation and massage.
Bryant declined to undergo any further examination of the injury through X-rays or an MRI, going against the wishes of the Lakers front office.
“Right now, he’s not,” Jackson said. “We’re trying to convince him that it might be a good idea.”
When asked what the Lakers’ medical staff thought of Bryant’s injury, Jackson said, “He won’t let them deal with it.”
Bryant has a history of seeking private medical consultation away from the team. He privately arranged surgery for his right knee last summer.
WRITTEN BYÂ Dave McMenamin covers the Lakers for ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Follow Dave McMenamin on Twitter:Â @mcten
& FULL STORY HERE
