Allen’s Injury Scuttles Feud

The rematch between Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen never got past the trainer’s room.

Allen did not play in Monday’s exhibition against the Lakers, citing a sore back that “just came to a head the last two days.” His absence temporarily halted a feud that began two weeks ago.

Allen was critical of Bryant after Seattle beat the Lakers in an Oct. 12 exhibition, predicting Bryant would behave selfishly this season and would demand a trade within a year or two if the Lakers were not championship contenders.

Bryant’s initial response to Allen’s remarks -- “He’ll have to see me on that court” -- was revisited the day before the presumed rematch, when Bryant crisply said he and Allen shouldn’t even be mentioned “in the same breath.”

Bryant appeared disappointed, if not disbelieving, as word trickled out that Allen would not play Monday.

“Sore back?” Bryant said loudly during pregame drills. “You kiddin’ me?”

Bryant seethed over Allen’s remarks after the first exhibition, so much so that he called Allen a few days ago and apparently left a message that he planned to run Allen off the court, in so many not-so-pleasant words. But Allen said Monday he recently changed his phone number and never received a message from Bryant.

Bryant scored 35 points in 41 minutes the first time the Lakers played Seattle; he had only two points in nine minutes in the Lakers’ 117-91 victory Monday at the San Diego Sports Arena.

With 3 minutes 18 seconds left in the first quarter, Bryant went to take the ball out of bounds in front of the Seattle bench, saw Allen sitting there and said sternly, “I’ll see you again.”

Allen smiled wryly. A Seattle teammate told Bryant to get lost, loosely translated.

Allen, who missed Seattle’s practice Sunday, said he would probably undergo an MRI exam today.

The teams’ first regular-season meeting is Dec. 14 at Seattle.

“We play each other four times a year,” Allen said. “I can’t get my drawers in a twist over this game. I don’t know Kobe. I don’t have anything personal against him. I just try to play my best when I play against him. I know he does the same.”

Allen, a four-time All-Star, was irritated on two occasions in the Oct. 12 game. He was upset when Bryant blocked one of his shots and glared at him as he fell down. Bryant also accidentally elbowed Allen in the jaw, which led to a verbal exchange.

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Caron Butler’s finger is hurting. His overall game is not.

Butler scored 18 points in his second game back since sustaining a partially torn tendon in his right pinkie finger.

There was concern that Butler’s shot would be affected by a splint that he was supposed to wear for four to six weeks. But against Seattle, he took the splint off early in a game in which he made three of four shots and 11 of 12 free throws.

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The Lakers improved to 5-2 and secured their first winning exhibition season since 1998. They went 3-5 last season and were never better than 4-4 in exhibition play in their three championship seasons under Phil Jackson.... Guard Kareem Rush played Monday for the first time since aggravating a chronically sore tendon in his right foot. He had sat out five games.