The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off a disappointing loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night and are back under .500 once again with a record of 30-31.
With the team fresh off a loss and a few players suffering injuries or re-aggravating injuries against the Thunder, the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference will get even tougher moving forward. The major injury concern following the loss to the Thunder was Kobe Bryant seemingly re-injuring his elbow. Kobe was tangled up with Thabo Sefolosha and began cringing in pain while favoring his right arm.
Fortunately, after a trip to the locker room with athletic trainer Gary Vitti, Kobe returned to the floor and was noticeably in pain with ulnar contusion. Kobe scored 30 points against the Thunder regardless of the injury, but the five-time NBA champion wasn’t the only one playing through pain on Tuesday.
Dwight Howard also re-aggravated an injury on Tuesday by tweaking his shoulder. Howard played through the pain and let the media know some interesting things following the loss to Oklahoma City Thunder.
Apparently, Howard has been receiving support from 11-time NBA champion and former Lakers head coach Phil Jackson. Jackson and Howard have been exchanging text messages with the Zen Master.
Jackson has experience rehabbing from back surgery and tells Howard that he’ll need a full year to recover. Of course, with Jackson texting Howard, the speculation starts to run rampant about the Zen Master’s return to the Lakers. Although that’s what everyone wants to happen with seemingly no one happy with Mike D’Antoni running the show in Los Angeles, it’s highly doubtful Jackson returns.
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Bryant Puts Up Courageous Effort With Injured Elbow [OC Register]
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Live Discussion: Will the Lakers Make The Playoff? [LA Times]
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Dwight Howard Sympathizes With Atlanta’s Josh Smith Getting ‘Posterized’ By Kobe Bryant [LA Daily News]
NBA News
Pacers’ Danny Granger To Miss A Week With Knee Soreness [Sports City]
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VIDEO: Thunder’s Serge Ibaka Rejects Dwight Howard’s Dunk [Sports City]
NBA Rumors: Kyle Korver Top Offseason Target For The Nuggets [Sports City]
VIDEO: Timberwolves Mock Miami Heat’s Harlem Shake [Sports City]
