Medvedenko Passes Out Briefly in Elevator

Laker forward Slava Medvedenko passed out briefly in a hotel elevator Sunday morning and was transported by ambulance to a local Philadelphia hospital after an apparent bout with fatigue.

An EKG test on Medvedenko was negative and he rejoined the team late Sunday in Memphis. The episode was believed to be an isolated incident, but Medvedenko will be evaluated further after the team returns Tuesday from its four-game trip.

Medvedenko, 26, had not been sleeping well because of back spasms that caused him to miss Friday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers. There were also questions about his diet.

“He only had a Snickers bar or something [Sunday] morning and this was at 11 o’clock,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “A juvenile diet.”

Medvedenko was going down the elevator to board the team bus to the Philadelphia International Airport. He slumped against the elevator wall after the doors opened at the lobby level and was helped outside by Kobe Bryant and Kwame Brown, Jackson said.

“That was really a strange set of events,” Jackson said. “I think it was lack of food [and] he’s been laying down a lot because he’s been injured.”

Medvedenko, in his fifth year with the Lakers, has two points and an assist in two games.

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Bryant leads the league with 31.8 points a game, but has not made a three-pointer.

After averaging almost two three-pointers per game last season, Bryant has missed all five of his shots from there this season. On the whole, his attempts from behind the arc are also down -- he averaged 5.9 shots a game from there last season.

Part of it is a new offense -- the triangle allows for fewer three-point shots than Rudy Tomjanovich’s up-tempo vision -- and part of it is a new position. Bryant, playing more at small forward than shooting guard, often gets the ball below the free-throw line and plays more of a post-up game.

“I always felt like I was a pretty good three-point shooter, but this season I want to keep the pressure on the defense,” Bryant said. “That’s why I’m kind of staying in that area, the free-throw line extended. I like to call it the ‘kill box.’ ”

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TONIGHT

at Memphis, 5 PST, Ch. 9

Site -- FedEx Forum.

Radio -- 570, 1330.

Records -- Lakers 3-3, Grizzlies 4-3.

Record vs. Grizzlies (2004-05) -- 0-3.

Update -- The Grizzlies, who took the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference last season, figure to be one of the teams fighting with the Lakers this season for a playoff spot. The Grizzlies have made numerous off-season moves, trading James Posey and Jason Williams, and adding Damon Stoudamire, Eddie Jones and Bobby Jackson. The Lakers were completely non-competitive against the Grizzlies last season, losing by 23, 10 and 20 points.