(AP) Bryant starts but has short night for Lakers
By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS
Kobe Bryant played 12 minutes Friday at Indiana, missed all four shots and then went to the bench for good in the Lakers 99-93 win.
It was all his severely sprained left ankle could take.
Bryant spent two days trying to fight his way back after landing on the foot of Atlanta’s Dahntay Jones in the waning seconds of Wednesday’s loss at Atlanta. Throughout the day, he looked better and after going through warm-ups, the Lakers put Bryant in the starting lineup.
He wasn’t the same. His four shots all came up short and when he went to the bench at the end of the first quarter, he never returned. It was only the 15th time in Bryant’s 17-year NBA career he was held scoreless in a game.