Bryant won’t rule out binge

Kobe Bryant, 50 points, again?

After a day off, the Lakers began working toward a quick trip against Memphis and New Orleans, both the good news and bad for them.

They are merely 22-16 this season against teams under .500, a category in which the Grizzlies (17-51) and Hornets (31-37) definitely qualify. (Dallas and Phoenix, in comparison, are 32-3 and 35-5 against teams below .500.)

Many eyes Thursday in Memphis will be on Bryant, who followed up his 65-point eruption against Portland with 50 against Minnesota. The NBA hasn’t seen a player score 50 in three consecutive games since Michael Jordan 20 years ago. The Lakers haven’t had anybody do it since Elgin Baylor in 1962.

Bryant briefly weighed the possibility at Tuesday’s practice.

“Hopefully, we won’t need it,” he said.

But he definitely knows about it.

“Somebody brought that to my attention yesterday,” he said. “To do something like that is pretty special. For me, it’s always been cool just to be mentioned in the same breath with those guys. That’s pretty much where it stands.”

That the Lakers are a combined 1-3 against the Grizzlies and Hornets might lead to more points for Bryant, who was recently nudged by Coach Phil Jackson to be more active earlier in games. It’s not exactly a departure from the share-the-ball philosophy implored by Jackson throughout the season, but it’s not quite status quo either.

“Phil has wanted over the last several ball games [for] Kobe to come out and be more aggressive offensively to start ball games because we’ve gotten off to such sluggish starts,” assistant coach Kurt Rambis said. “If he gets us going and everybody else starts contributing, depending on how we’re playing, Kobe is to read those situations. If we need that [scoring], then that’s something he is more than capable of delivering.”

But Rambis, who has filled in for Jackson toward the end of recent practices because Jackson has had dental appointments, rounded back to the share-the-scoring theme.

“We can’t rely on the fact that he’s going to score 50 points every night and expect that’s going to be our offense and that’s what’s going to carry us,” he said. “That’s unrealistic.”

With Lamar Odom, Luke Walton and Kwame Brown back in their starting spots, the Lakers (35-32) will try to ramp up like they did during an 11-3 run at the end of last season.

And, if need be, Bryant will score.

A lot.

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The teenager and the coach are back on good terms.

Andrew Bynum spoke with Jackson about his tirade on the bench after being pulled with 49 seconds to play Sunday against Minnesota.

“Andrew came in after a day of reflection and he apologized to Phil,” Rambis said. “Phil accepts his apology. That’s pretty much the end of it.”

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Brian Cook hoped to play against Memphis, but his sprained ankle might not cooperate.

“I woke up this morning and it still hurt,” he said Tuesday. “It’s still colorful.”

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com