Bryant Sore, but He Plays

Kobe Bryant ran from the locker room to the floor on Wednesday night, not 24 hours after his 54-minute, 52-point game against the Houston Rockets.

An hour before, he was on the middle of three trainer’s tables in the gray cinder-block visitors’ locker room at Delta Center, a wire trailing away from his right knee and leading eventually to a wall socket, an old orange basketball on his lap.

He went through the layup lines, his gait somewhere between his usual jangle and his fresh limp, and he exhaled hard, occasionally calling for the ball by holding up his right forefinger. He shot jumpers with about four inches of lift, and then he nodded, mostly to himself.

There was a game Wednesday night and he would play, patella tendinitis and all, even as Coach Phil Jackson considered his options of veteran Brian Shaw or rookie Kareem Rush at shooting guard.

“There’s some,” Jackson said when asked if there were concern if Bryant could play.

“We don’t want him to gimp around on the floor like he did [Tuesday] night,” he said about the double-overtime victory over the Rockets.

As trainer Gary Vitti worked over him, Bryant said he has no long-term concerns about his knee.

“Not really,” he said. “Nothing that rest can’t cure.”

Right. Like, in June. Including Wednesday’s game here, the Lakers play six games in 10 days. From Feb. 11 through the end of the month, they will have played 11 games in 18 games.

So, Bryant played, as he knew he’d have to. Shaquille O’Neal sat out his third consecutive game because of a sore knee and toe, the latter of which required a pain-killing injection Tuesday.

Bryant or O’Neal have played in every Laker game since Nov. 12, 1999, a home loss to Houston for which O’Neal was suspended (for his fight with Charles Barkley) and Bryant had a broken hand. Jackson didn’t even coach all of that game, having been ejected in the third quarter.

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The Lakers hope O’Neal can play Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers. He did not make the trip to Utah, but he reported to the club’s practice facility in El Segundo, where he received treatment for his aching parts and prepared for his return.

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The NBA trading deadline is at noon today. Jackson said there were some trade options for the Lakers, but the prospect for something splashy is slim.

More likely, the Lakers will sign a free agent such as Stanley Roberts or Horace Grant in the coming weeks. Both would come cheap -- the $1-million veteran’s exception prorated for the number of games remaining.

The Toronto Raptors are believed to have some early interest in Roberts as well.

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Samaki Walker rolled his right ankle on the opening tip, limped around for another seven minutes, and left the floor for good late in the first quarter. He was treated for a sprained ankle and will be evaluated again today.

Walker said he landed on Greg Ostertag’s foot.

“That’s not the worst,” Walker said. “I heard of cats getting hurt in warmups. At least I got to the tip.”

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Jackson canceled Wednesday’s shoot-around. ... Players have scored 50 or more points in an NBA game 340 times. Bryant has done it four times.

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The U.S. post office at 5805 White Oak Ave. in Encino will be renamed the Francis Dayle “Chick” Hearn Post Office during a dedication ceremony today at 3 p.m. Taking part will be Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), Marge Hearn, Derek Fisher, former Laker players and other featured guests.

Hearn, who died Aug. 5 after a fall at his home in Encino, often used this post office.

“I remember the last time Francis and I were there,” Marge recalled. “There was a long line and a worker motioned for us to come straight to the window. But Francis said, ‘That’s OK, we’re fine right here.’ ”

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Staff writer Larry Stewart contributed to this report.