Bryant practices, might play tonight

Kobe Bryant ended one streak and began another.

He practiced again Wednesday after sitting out three consecutive days, but did not talk to reporters after breaking several days of silence Tuesday with a brief interview.

Bryant did not finish practice -- he was later seen in a workout room, lifting weights -- but his presence was noted.

“It was good,” Lakers center Kwame Brown said. “He was out there smiling and looking good and coaching guys on. That’s what we needed. Hopefully they can work it out upstairs and he can get back down here with us.”

“Upstairs” would be the Lakers’ front offices, which in this case would include owner Jerry Buss, who angered Bryant with his comments in an interview last week and probably factored into his decision to sit out a few practices. Bryant had also been nursing a sore knee.

It all led to a frenetic few days, complete with breathless talk-radio updates about Bryant allegedly cleaning out his locker on the way out of town.

“I’m sure emotionally for him, it’s tough trying to figure out what’s the right way to go, and I’m sure for the team, it’s a tough place to be,” Derek Fisher said. “Because of the events of this summer, I think it was hard not to feel that at some point, things would be dealt with [and not] to be as naive to feel as though everything was just done and nothing would take place. . . . There’s no question we’re a better team when he is here and we do what we can do.”

Bryant has made no secret of his desire to be traded, but Coach Phil Jackson said the nine-time All-Star would probably play tonight against Seattle in an exhibition game in Bakersfield.

“I’ll run him a little bit, get him out there,” Jackson said.

Bryant was tracked down in the players’ parking lot for a 98-second interview Tuesday, but he slipped out Wednesday while reporters were inside the Lakers’ training facility in El Segundo.

His absence in recent practices had been more mysterious than distracting, Brown said.

“We didn’t know what was going on,” he said. “We found out when you guys found out. Hopefully they can handle that upstairs, and we all are going to keep staying focused and carrying the workload until he gets back. It wasn’t a distraction . . . we just thought he was resting his knees.”

Lost among the chaos is the daunting schedule awaiting the Lakers, with or without Bryant.

Unlike their cushy beginning of a year ago, the Lakers play 11 of their first 16 games against last season’s playoff teams, beginning with the season opener Oct. 30 against Houston and continuing three days later at Phoenix.

At the start of last season, the Lakers played 16 of their first 20 games at Staples Center, part of the reason they were able to get off to a 26-13 start.

They play their final six exhibition games in the next nine days. Any type of on-court cohesion would be important if they want to get off to a strong start.

“He was out here working, so hopefully that means he’s going to play” today, Brown said of Bryant. “We definitely want him to play. We need him to play.”

Fisher returned from a quick trip to New York for medical care for his daughter, who is recovering from a rare form of eye cancer. “It’s probably going to be the last time that we’re going to have to make that kind of trip, where we have to go to New York and double back within a 24-hour or 36-hour period,” Fisher said. “We’re pretty much set up here in Los Angeles.” . . . Brown practiced for a second consecutive day and might play in exhibitions Saturday or Sunday at Staples Center. . . . Lamar Odom also practiced but did not take part in contact drills.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com