Bryant May Miss a Month

The Lakers learned the extent of Kobe Bryant’s latest injury to his right shoulder Saturday, and the news wasn’t good.

Bryant could be sidelined as long as four weeks after spraining his shoulder 54 seconds into the first quarter of Friday night’s victory over Seattle at Staples Center. It’s an aggravation of an injury he suffered Jan. 12 against Cleveland, which sidelined him for six games over a two-week span.

Bryant, however, will not go on the injured list immediately. After being examined by Dr. Steve Lombardo, Bryant arrived at the team’s practice facility Saturday morning and tried to assure Coach Phil Jackson and his teammates that his injury was not too bad.

“We try and be optimistic, but it looks like he could be out for a while,” Jackson said. “We’re withholding judgment ... [but] doctors have said that there’s a possibility that he could be out up to four weeks. Right now, there is swelling in the joint and there’s still pain.

“[Bryant] was optimistic when he came in this morning, which is a very good sign. He felt in his own heart of hearts that he’ll be back in a few games. Nothing like the last time when he had to sit out 11 days. He felt that because he could lift his shoulder up and do some things ... that will allow him [to return] in a shorter time.”

Bryant, who did not speak with reporters, will be reevaluated after the Lakers return from their upcoming trip, which will begin Monday at Utah and end Saturday at Chicago.

If he is sidelined for four weeks, Bryant will return a week before the end of the regular season for the Lakers’ final six games. But with the playoffs right around the corner, the Lakers figure that Bryant’s damaged shoulder will be a concern for the remainder of the season.

“It’s going to be the contact when he comes into a ballgame that’s going to create the situation more than likely rather than shooting and the activity of just playing,” Jackson said. “[Bryant will] have to evaluate how much contact he’ll be able to take and still be able to play. Otherwise, he’ll be doubled over and holding the shoulder again.”

Before re-injuring his shoulder, Bryant was playing his best basketball of the season. In his previous nine games before Friday, Bryant nearly averaged a triple double at almost 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

But within the first minute against the SuperSonics, Bryant was closely defending Seattle’s Ray Allen when he got caught trying to go over the top of a screen set by Reggie Evans. Bryant jerked his right arm away from Allen, and the back of his shoulder struck Evans.

The Lakers knew Bryant had seriously injured himself when he didn’t return to the game.

“I’m sure as soon as he’s in good enough position to play, he’ll be out there for us,” guard Derek Fisher said. “He’s handling the news well. There’s not much that he can do about it. With it being the same shoulder that he’s had problems with before, you can’t run the risk of trying to continue to play through it and further risk damage.”

When Bryant returned to the lineup after spraining his shoulder the first time on Jan. 24, he played twice and did not look close to 100%. Two days later, he arrived at a shoot-around with a cut finger and sat out seven more games.

So over a span of 15 games, Bryant sat out 13 before his shoulder appeared back to normal.

“Knowing Kobe, he probably thinks that he’ll be able to play [today against the New Jersey Nets], but of course we know that he can’t,” General Manager Mitch Kupchak said. “But he does heal quickly.... We’re just hopeful that if we can get our group together going into the playoffs, we’ll be as good as anybody as far as making a run at this thing.”

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Missing Pieces

The Lakers’ four key players, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Gary Payton, haven’t all played together often. Combinations of big four playing together and record in each case:

*--* Combination Laker record Win pct. All four in lineup 16-5 762 Without Malone 12-5 706 Without Bryant and Malone 4-3 571 Without O’Neal, Bryant and Malone 2-5 286 Without O’Neal and Malone 3-3 500 Without O’Neal 2-0 1.000 Without Bryant 1-0 1.000 Overall 40-21 656

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The Bryant Factor

The Lakers are 33-13 with Kobe Bryant this season, and 7-8 without

*--* Date Result Without Bryant High Scorer Oct. 28 at Lakers 109, Dallas 93 Gary Payton, 21 Jan. 14 at Lakers 97, Denver 71 Slava Medvedenko, 22 Jan. 16 at Sacramento 103, Lakers 83 Kareem Rush, 30 Jan. 17 at Lakers 91, Clippers 89 Medvedenko, 20 Jan. 19 Phoenix 88, at Lakers 85 Rush, 18 Jan. 21 at Memphis 88, Lakers 82 Payton, 24 Jan. 22 at Dallas 106, Lakers 87 Devean George, 24 Jan. 30 Minnesota 97, at Lakers 84 Shaquille O’Neal, 22 Feb. 1 Lakers 84, at Toronto 83 O’Neal, 36 Feb. 2 at Indiana 85, Lakers 72 Medvedenko, 14 Feb. 4 Lakers 111, at Cleveland 106 (OT) O’Neal, 37 Feb. 5 at Philadelphia 96, Lakers 73 O’Neal, 17 Feb. 8 Lakers 98, at Orlando 96 O’Neal 20 Feb. 10 Lakers 98, at Miami 83 O’Neal, 25 March 2 at Atlanta 94, Lakers 93 O’Neal, Payton, 23

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