By John Nadel
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES ó Kobe Bryant walked a bit gingerly as he emerged from the training area at Lakers headquarters to speak with reporters Tuesday, remaining on his feet since sitting is not a preferred option because of his sore lower back.
iQuite a bit (of pain), but itís a lot better than it was yesterday,î Bryant said with a smile ó his mood clearly positive. iItíll be fine.î
Bryant tweaked his back in the opening minutes of Sundayís 123-115 overtime loss at Utah that tied the Western Conference semifinals 2-2. Sore back and all, he had 33 points eight rebounds and 10 assists while playing 46 minutes.
Bryant said heíll definitely play tonight in Game 5 at Staples Center, adding he would have given it a go had there been a game Tuesday night.
iThe key is to know what you can and canít do,î he said. iI kind of know what I can and canít do. I hope I can do whatís necessary to help us win.î
Bryant didnít practice Tuesday, spending his time in suburban El Segundo getting treatment and watching film. He said he hoped to participate in the shootaround this morning.
And he outlined a couple areas of inconvenience because of his back.
iSleepingís tough,î Bryant said. iThis car ride home is going to be a beast, sitting in traffic. Iíll stretch out when I get home.î