It’s no time to rest for Bryant

Will the Lakers make the playoffs? A lot of it depends on Kobe Bryant, of course.

He played all 48 minutes Thursday against the Clippers, but followed his 50-point effort with only 17 points Friday in Phoenix, lacking enough of his usual lick that one of his biggest rivals even offered an excuse for him.

“I’m sure his legs were tired,” Suns guard Raja Bell said.

Undeniably, Bryant has been on a marathon of minutes since mid-March, averaging 44.9 minutes in the last 15 games. He has played fewer than 40 minutes only once in that span, logging 38 in the Lakers’ blowout victory over Sacramento two weeks ago.

He made only seven of 24 shots against the Suns, and the net result was predictable -- the Lakers (40-40) took their eighth loss in 10 games.

They are .500 for the first time this season and in danger of missing the playoffs for the second time since Shaquille O’Neal was traded. They are seventh in the Western Conference, half a game ahead of Golden State and the Clippers.

Phil Jackson has never missed the playoffs in his 16 seasons as an NBA coach, and the Lakers have missed the postseason only twice since 1976.

They would make the playoffs by winning their final two games -- tonight against Seattle and Wednesday at Sacramento -- or by winning one of two and having Golden State and the Clippers each lose one of their final three games.

Their collapse has left Bryant with one particular observation. “For us to win games as of late, I’ve got to be on,” he said. “If that shot’s not on, we really struggle to win games.”

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Smush Parker was scoreless in 16 minutes against the Suns, another step in the wrong direction for the free-agent-to-be. He was benched for the entire fourth quarter for the fourth time in the last six games.

“I thought he had absolutely no energy out there in the third quarter, showed me nothing that he wanted to do,” Jackson said. “He gave us an effort that wasn’t up to what we had to have.”

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Vladimir Radmanovic did not play against the Suns after playing two minutes against the Clippers in what was his first game action since sustaining a separated right shoulder while snowboarding during the All-Star break.

“I don’t know if he’s ready for playing at this level right now,” Jackson said. “Hopefully we get a game where he can get some minutes in there.”

TONIGHT

vs. Seattle, 6:30, FSN West

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 570, 1330.

Records -- Lakers 40-40, SuperSonics 31-49.

Record vs. SuperSonics -- 2-1.

Update -- Kobe Bryant had 46 points on 13-for-27 shooting in a 112-109 victory over the SuperSonics on April 6 in Seattle. The SuperSonics will again be without All-Star guard Ray Allen, who is out for the season after undergoing ankle surgery.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com