Injuries Are Hot Topic After Suns Lose Kidd

The Lakers face a stunned Phoenix Sun team tonight, only two days after all-star guard Jason Kidd was lost for at least the rest of the regular season because of a broken ankle.

“It just makes you appreciate the game even more, because you really don’t know when it’s going to be taken away from you,” Laker guard Kobe Bryant said. “I heard it was a freak play too.”

While the Suns have also lost Tom Gugliotta until next season and endured several other significant losses because of injuries, the Lakers have avoided the injury bug after losing Bryant for the first 15 games because of a broken hand.

“You know, that’s the name of the game, basically,” Coach Phil Jackson said Thursday, when asked how he has kept his players injury free this season.

“You don’t want your guys to play tired or fatigued. And you want to have the best strength and health. . . . A lot of that revolves around [training staff] Jim Cotta, Chip Schaeffer and Gary [Vitti]. . . .

“[And] the fact that this group has taken to their weight and conditioning seriously this year, as a team. . . . They’ve been doing the things therapeutically that gives them the strength they need during the season.

“But that still doesn’t prevent injuries that can happen any time. You just keep going on, just hope that you go through a year. . . .”

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In the case of veteran Ron Harper, Jackson suggested that, given his often-gimpy legs and the Lakers’ six-game lead over Portland, the Lakers will be best served by putting Harper on the injured list sometime this week to get him rested for the expected April-May-June playoff marathon.

“We’ll probably come up with a scenario for that in the next couple days,” Jackson said.

Rookie John Celestand, on the injured list since Dec. 16, would be activated to take Harper’s spot.

Brian Shaw, who has averaged 20.7 minutes off the bench in the last nine games, said the Laker guard corps has known for a while that Harper probably would spend some time on the sidelines.

Shaw said he expects Harper’s starting spot to go to Derek Fisher, who started the first 20 games of the season while Bryant was hurt and then working his way into shape.

TONIGHT

vs. Phoenix

7:30, Fox Sports Net

* Site--Staples Center.

* Radio--KLAC (570).

* Records--Lakers 57-12, Suns 44-23.

* Record vs. Suns--2-0.

* Update--Phoenix turned to the past to try to help replace Kidd, signing veteran point guard Kevin Johnson, who hasn’t played in two-plus seasons. “Pretty good replacement,” Jackson said. “He can play.” The Suns have won five in a row and 10 of their last 12, but without Kidd, their bid for the third or fourth seeding in the playoffs might lose momentum.

* Tickets--Sold out.