Bryant Might Return Today

Kobe Bryant was supposed to run through a few drills and call it a day.

Ninety minutes later, after completing a full practice, he described his sprained right ankle as being 75% full strength and added a final surprise by saying he might play today against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Bryant said he was still pretty limited, but his presence could add scoring and defensive punch to the Lakers, who are 6-8 in games Bryant has sat out since he landed on the foot of Cleveland guard Ira Newble on Jan. 13.

Caron Butler said Bryant did some “spectacular things” Saturday at practice, and Lamar Odom predicted Bryant would play today, but Bryant said it would depend how he felt this morning when he rolled out of bed.

“If there’s pain, I won’t go,” Bryant said.

Bryant, the league’s second-leading scorer at 27.5 points a game, was not expected to play on the current five-game trip, which ends today.

“It’s a miraculous world we live in,” Laker spokesman John Black said. “There may even be hockey again some day.”

In Bryant’s absence, the Lakers have had trouble implementing their version of the triangle offense, and their defense has suffered despite playing 10 of 14 games against teams with losing records. Against teams with winning records, they have gone 0-4 without Bryant.

At the same time, there is intrigue as to how Bryant’s return will change the roles of Odom and guard Chucky Atkins, who increased their production in Bryant’s absence.

“Any time you add a better player to your team you’re not supposed to get worse,” Odom said. “Whatever adjustments we have to make, so be it.”

Odom, averaging 18.2 points while Bryant has been sidelined, said he would continue taking the ball to the basket the same way he has done in recent weeks.

“That’s what I have to do,” Odom said. “With Kobe coming back, none of us should slack off as far as being aggressive on offense.”

Atkins has averaged 18.6 points in Bryant’s absence.

*

Karl Malone, the Laker power forward last season, will announce his retirement today in Salt Lake City.

“He had a brilliant career,” Bryant said. “Everybody has to call it quits some day.”

A spat between Malone and Bryant boiled over in December, when Bryant publicly accused Malone of flirting with his wife.

“That has nothing to do with him retiring,” Bryant said.

*

The league credited Rudy Tomjanovich with two victories in games he missed while pondering his resignation, but Frank Hamblen, who guided the team in Tomjanovich’s absence and has since taken over, said he should get credit for them.

“He got the money and the trip to Hawaii,” Hamblen joked. “He doesn’t get those [victories]. I’ll petition.”

Without the two victories, Hamblen is 1-4 as Laker coach since Tomjanovich’s resignation.

*

Bryant said the time off eliminated the painful swelling in his left foot that had bothered him since October.... If Bryant plays today or Tuesday against Utah, the league will expect him to play in next Sunday’s All-Star game unless he exacerbates the injury.... When Bryant returns, Butler moves from shooting guard back to small forward. “It’ll be great,” Butler said. “I’ve been guarding those fast guys the last couple of weeks.”

*

TODAY

at Cleveland, 12:30 PST, Channel 7

Site -- Gund Arena.

Radio -- XTRA (570), KWKW (1330).

Records -- Lakers 25-23, Cavaliers 28-20.

Record vs. Cavaliers -- 1-0.

Update -- The Cavaliers have lost three of their last five, including a surprising 106-101 home loss Friday against Denver. LeBron James is among league leaders in several categories, averaging 25.3 points, 7.7 assists, 2.3 steals and 41.4 minutes. The Lakers beat the Cavaliers last month, 98-94, despite losing Bryant midway through the first quarter. Odom had 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in that game.