Weekend Break Fine by Jackson

Kobe Bryant’s jumpers generally have been unreliable, and the grimaces on his face and instinctive reaches for his shoulder have suggested there is a larger problem.

The Lakers -- or Phil Jackson, at least -- went into Thursday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with elimination as their first priority, and getting Bryant a few days off as the second.

The upper bracket of the Western Conference semifinals will start Monday. Game 7 would have meant a continuation of a first-round schedule that has been harsh on the hale among them, and Bryant has received constant treatment for his sore shoulder, an injury that occurred in Game 2.

“Everybody knows that’s the goal at the end of closing a series out, the space in between,” Jackson said. “It’s a time for the coaches to rest, and a recuperation time for the players. Kobe’s the one who could benefit the most, perhaps, at this point. ... He can come back and maybe have himself in pretty good form by Monday.”

Though he has played since Game 2 with deadness in his eyes and a slope to his shoulders, Bryant said he is not hiding anything in the sore shoulder. He has tried different strategies, from heavy treatment to none at all, and the result in six games was a 31.8-point average and a team-high 6.7 assists per game.

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Rick Fox left the team late Thursday night and was to be examined today in New York City by Dr. Jonathan Deland, director of foot and ankle services at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

Fox said he was seeking a second opinion as to surgical options to repair the torn tendon in his foot and hoped to have the surgery as soon as possible.

Team physician Steve Lombardo said this week he expected Fox to be recovered in time for next season.

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Despite his closeness with Kevin Garnett, Bryant didn’t give Garnett’s going home first a second thought. “KG’s one of my best friends in this league,” Bryant said. “But I’m a competitive dude. I wouldn’t want him to feel any other way, if the situation were reversed.”

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Once Mark Madsen got through the pregame routine Thursday night, Game 6 was a breeze.

As his teammates jostled each other before the game, Shaquille O’Neal’s chest hit Devean George’s head, which hit Madsen above the right eye, leaving a nasty bruise and welt.