Bryant, Bynum to rest against Spurs
By Bryan Chu, for NBA.com
Posted Feb 8 2010 10:37PM
LOS ANGELES -- The Lakers will be without a pair of starters against the Spurs.
Lakers All-Star guard Kobe Bryant and center Andrew Bynum will both miss Monday's game, said Lakers coach Phil Jackson before the game.
"I wish we had [Bryant] on the floor tonight," Jackson said. "We always go out and play ... you always want to have a player like that [who] can change the game."
Bryant will miss his second straight game with a sprained left ankle. Bryant, who re-injured his left ankle when he stepped on Lamar Odom's foot against Charlotte Wednesday, underwent an MRI on his ankle Monday as a precaution. There were no immediate results released.
"I'm not informed enough to talk about it," Jackson said.
As for Wednesday's game against Utah, Jackson said Bryant wants to play.
Bynum is out with a bruised right hip, an injury he suffered in the first half against Portland on Saturday.
Bryant's injuries have been well chronicled this season. The list includes: a sore lower back, broken right index finger and a sprained left ankle. Without Bryant, who had his streak of 235 consecutive games snapped, the Lakers managed to come away with a victory in Portland.
As for the keys against the Spurs, Jackson said: "Lack of turnovers, rebounding edge, we have to shoot the ball alright ... you can't make a lot of mistakes against the Spurs."
For Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, he would rather not play a short-handed Lakers squad
"I'd rather have it the other way," he said. "It's more of a situation where if you win the game I'm not sure you can take a whole lot from it, but if you lose the game you feel like hell.
"You always want to play teams when they are whole because it's a good measure."
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