Kobe Bryant feels ‘good, like a gazelle’ and expects to play against Memphis

Kobe Bryant said he would play Tuesday against Memphis, 18 days after his last game with the Lakers, bolstered by a four-day weekend and a Monday morning practice that didn’t produce any pain in his left ankle.

“I feel good, like a gazelle,” he said. “As always, the ultimate test is to see how it develops and how it holds up to stress and the pressure of traveling and playing in back-to-backs.”

The Lakers play an increasingly intriguing game Wednesday in Dallas, a day after Bryant’s expected return against the Grizzlies. He acknowledged that the ankle didn’t feel entirely healed but said it was close enough.

“Where I’m at now, I feel confident about playing and, while I play, getting to 100%,” he said. “It’s about 80-85 right now. The rest of the percentage is made up just from strength.”

Bryant is averaging 28 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists, but the Lakers went 4-1 in a series of well-balanced efforts without him. They are half a game behind Cleveland (43-14) for the NBA’s best record.

“It’ll be a little bit of an adjustment for us, but we’re all excited to have him back,” forward Pau Gasol said. “He looked good. With this little break that we just had after the Boston game, everybody’s energized and ready to go. I think it’s going to translate to the games.

“We have to make sure we continue to move the ball. I think that’s a big part of our success.”

Bryant’s return would come against the same Grizzlies team he lit up for 44 points on 16-for-28 shooting this month, but the Lakers lost, 95-93, when Ron Artest missed a three-point attempt as time expired.

After that game, during which Bryant broke Jerry West’s career franchise scoring record, Gasol said the Lakers were “not making a conscious effort on pounding the ball inside.”

Gasol had only 10 points on four-for-seven shooting that night and said Monday that returning to Memphis, the franchise that dealt him to the Lakers two years ago and employs his younger brother, Marc, at center, always represented a personally charged night.

“There’s a lot going on emotionally,” he said. “I want to play well, especially in that game. Last time I was a little bit upset because I wasn’t able to do that.”

Gasol has had plenty of shots over the last five games, averaging 18.4 points on 15 shots a game. The Lakers beat Portland, Utah, San Antonio and Golden State without Bryant, and Lamar Odom played several solid games, as did Artest, but the Lakers missed Bryant, Artest said.

“Don’t get it twisted,” he said with a smile. “It’s the ‘Mamba Show.’ Happy to have him back.”

Bryant had not missed so many consecutive games since sitting out 14 in a row near the midpoint of the 2004-05 season because of a severely sprained right ankle.

He was sidelined this time because of a sprain in the other ankle and a sore peroneal tendon, which runs vertically behind the ankle bone.

“He’s not coming back to the same [physical] position he was at two, three weeks ago, but it’s good to have him out there on the floor,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.

Will Bryant be more of a facilitator or scorer in his first game back?

“I’m not going to guess at that,” Jackson said, cognizant of the fact that Bryant scored almost at will against Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo this month. “He really likes to take advantage of small guards. . . . “

Bynum still slowed

Jackson limited Andrew Bynum‘s minutes in Monday’s practice but the Lakers center is expected to play against Memphis despite a sore right hip.

“Hopefully [we] can get some 30-minute games out of him in this stretch,” Jackson said.

Nice save

An avowed hockey fan, Jackson made sure he caught Team USA’s stirring 5-3 victory over Canada in Sunday’s Olympic action.

“It was all [about] that goaltender standing up to that barrage at the end of the game,” Jackson said of Ryan Miller. “The last three or four minutes he was terrific.”

Jackson also watched the Russia-Czech Republic game that preceded Team USA’s victory.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

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