It Doesn’t Seem Like a Tragedy for Bryant

INDIANAPOLIS —  There was a lively Laker production of Hamlet at Conseco Fieldhouse on Saturday, probably not entirely on purpose, but just enough to throw plans, perceptions and, oops, the NBA finals slightly off-line.

Kobe, or not Kobe?

That was a question, not entirely answered, though there were several well-played scenes of dramatic and comedic interest:

* Kobe Bryant, saying he felt better, but still needing crutches to maneuver his sprained left ankle through a field of reporters after the Lakers’ practice, then yelping in warning as the pack rumbled to within inches of his wounded foot.

* Coach Phil Jackson shrugging his shoulders, and hinting that if Bryant could take the pain, why shouldn’t the Lakers, already up, 2-0, in this series, play him in Game 3 tonight against the Indiana Pacers?

“Well, you don’t give any games away in this business,” Jackson said. “And we’re certainly not going to pull any punches.

“If he can play, he’ll play, regardless.”

* To the delight of teammates and the media assembled, Bryant jumping on Shaquille O’Neal’s back for a delirious Diesel-powered ride from the team bus to the court to start practice.

“They didn’t have a cart or anything like that,” Bryant said with a grin. “I didn’t want to walk here on crutches, so I hopped on his back, got a little piggy-back ride.”

Said O’Neal: “I didn’t want him to walk on his own.”

So, will he just suit up, hobble around on crutches tonight, and ride O’Neal from offense to defense as the Lakers try to move within one game of a championship?

Or more directly: Is the injury he suffered in the first quarter of the Lakers’ Game 2 victory at Staples Center enough to keep Bryant out of today’s game, though X-rays showed no major damage?

The Pacers, who have been rampaged for 83 points and 43 rebounds by O’Neal in two losses to open this series--and lost Game 2 despite Bryant sitting out most of it--weren’t straining themselves wondering about the Bryant situation.

“I don’t want Shaq to play,” forward Jalen Rose said. “I don’t care if Kobe plays or not, I just don’t want Shaq to play.”

Bryant, ever determined to try to overcome anything in his path, left the door wide open to suit up and give it a go.

Remember, he had a sprained right foot before the final two games of the Portland series, and barely missed a minute of action.

But Bryant also intimidated that he would not push the injury, and the possibility of increasing the damage, for solely heroic purposes.

“Personally, I would love to play,” Bryant said. “But sometimes, the doctor knows what’s best. . . .

“You have to be smart. The doctors are going to know best. They’re going to be able to judge my foot better than I can. Because I’ll probably just react off of sheer emotion and off of sheer competitiveness.”

Also, the Lakers certainly are not yet in peril as they begin a set of three games in Indianapolis, comfortably ahead, knowing the final two games of the series, if it comes to it, are at Staples.

With Game 4 not scheduled until Wednesday, several Lakers did not disagree that it might be prudent to let Bryant sit this one out and go for the jugular in Game 4, which would give Bryant four full days of rest and healing.

“The most important thing is his health,” said guard Brian Shaw, the most likely candidate to replace Bryant in the starting lineup. “We don’t want him to come back and further damage an already injured ankle.

“If he’s able to play, of course, we want him to play. If he’s not, the fact that we do have a 2-0 lead allows us a little bit of space, a little bit of cushion to give him more time.”

When Bryant sat out the first 15 games of the regular season because of a broken right hand, the Lakers went 11-4. They also beat the Suns in Phoenix on April 4 when Bryant was serving a one-game suspension for fighting.

“We played a lot of games early in the season without Kobe, and we had a fair amount of success,” Shaw said, “so we’re confident we can still do that.”

Said guard Derek Fisher: “You know, he looked like he could get up and move around a little bit today, but there’s a big difference between doing that and playing at an intense level that you have to out there.

“Right now, we feel like he’s not going to play. But if he does, there’s extra that will be added to what we already have.”

The Lakers, though, did acknowledge that momentum is precious in any series, especially a championship round, and that they have lost to Indiana once this season at Conseco--with a sound Bryant.

“There’s no need to rush it, but I think Indiana plays a lot better here on their home court,” Bryant said.

“So if I can come back and create some easy opportunities for my teammates, breaking Indiana down, that’ll be beneficial for us.”

And if the medical people tell him that it’s up to him and that there would only be pain to endure, no risk of further damage? “I play,” Bryant said.

Jackson pointed out that, with a full day plus several hours left to evaluate Bryant, there was no reason to be pinned down on an answer.

The biggest question mark, Jackson said, was whether Bryant, if he decides to play, can be effective enough on a bad ankle to make the effort worth it for himself and the team.

“The doctor, trainer and I will talk about that,” said Jackson, who said he wanted Bryant to be at least 85% before signing off on having him play tonight. “Kobe’s got to make the decision. He hasn’t got anything wrong with his foot, except for swelling and pain and whatever. . . .

“I don’t think he can hurt himself [further]. There’s no damage, structural damage there. So I think that’s the most important part to remember.”

*

NBA FINALS: GAME 3, TODAY, 4:30 P.M., CHANNEL 4

*

What Could Have Been

Dale Davis was backup plan for Lakers before O’Neal deal.

Page 12

*

Mysteries of the East

It doesn’t figure to get better for the Eastern Conference.

Page 15

*

Chalking Bryant Out

Pete Newell would be surprised if Kobe plays today. Page 16

SERIES REPORT

Page 12