Bryant Might Sit Friday Too

Kobe Bryant sat out Wednesday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs because of a sprained right ankle, an ailment that might also jeopardize his status in Friday night’s game against Atlanta at Staples Center.

After a full day of treatment--he rolled the ankle in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s victory in Dallas--Bryant decided he would not play 30 minutes before tipoff.

“It was too painful, really,” Bryant said. “That was pretty much it. I could barely walk on it.”

Bryant watched the Lakers’ 101-99 victory from the locker room.

“It was a good game,” Bryant said. “It was fun to watch.

“We finished off with a lot of confidence.”

Despite previous injuries to his other ankle, his elbow, his knee, his hip and his little finger, Bryant missed his first game of the season.

“Here’s what I told him,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “I said, “If this is going to be a residual thing that’s going to cost you a game or it’s going to be a problem because of [games] Friday and Sunday, we’d rather miss one game than have you be bothered two or three games or a week and a half. But if you’re capable of going and continue to run OK, then fine.’

“That’s where we left it. Ultimately it’s got to be his call.”

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Foiled by a league-wide lack of movement, a roster of players difficult to trade, and the coming luxury tax, the Lakers are not expected to make a deal by this afternoon’s trading deadline.

If something were to develop, the trade most likely would be for bench depth.

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Guard Ron Harper was found to have no new structural damage in his sore left knee in an examination Wednesday in Los Angeles, another reason General Manager Mitch Kupchak might not feel the urgency to deal. A team spokesman called the tests, an MRI among them, “inconclusive.”

Team physician Steve Lombardo found arthritis and a slightly torn cartilage, neither of which caused the recent soreness. Harper was given an injection and should be activated from the injured list when eligible, on or about Feb. 28, when the Lakers play at Denver.

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Jackson briefly tried a backcourt of Isaiah “J.R.” Rider and Mike Penberthy in the first quarter Wednesday, but abandoned it after one offensive possession, replacing Rider with Brian Shaw.

Despite Rider’s recent production--he has scored in double figures in each of his starts since Harper went to the disabled list--he’ll be back on the bench when Harper returns, Jackson said.

Jackson also said he would not consider a lineup that would have Bryant on the wing and Harper and Rider in the backcourt, primarily because he does not want to bench Rick Fox.

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The Spurs activated forward Sean Elliott from the injured list before Wednesday’s game. He had been inactive since Jan. 9, sitting out 20 games because of a tear in his right rotator cuff.

Elliott entered the game to a standing ovation with 4:16 left in the second quarter. He was scoreless in nine minutes.