Lakers’ Anthony Brown out at least four weeks because of stress reaction in foot

Now the Lakers are having to come to grips with an increasing number of injuries on top of a season that has them careening toward the worst record in franchise history.

It was bad enough for Lakers Coach Byron Scott to say after practice Saturday that Jordan Clarkson (strained tendon in left knee) and Kobe Bryant (sore right shoulder) both remain questionable for Sunday’s game against the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors at Staples Center.

Then news came after the media left the practice facility that an MRI exam revealed that rookie small forward Anthony Brown has a “stress reaction” in his right foot. Most definitions of Brown’s injury said the structure of the bone has become weakened to almost be a crack in the foot.

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The Lakers said Brown, who has started recent games in place of Bryant, will be out a minimum of four weeks. The Lakers have only six weeks left in a season that has been going the wrong way all of the 2015-16 NBA campaign.

Clarkson, who didn’t play Friday against Atlanta, practiced Saturday and told Scott that he’s ready to play against the Warriors.

Bryant, who also didn’t play against the Hawks, didn’t attend practice.

Scott said he wanted Clarkson to get more treatment after practice Saturday and then he wanted to see how Clarkson looked before Sunday’s game before deciding whether his second-year guard will play.

“He’s better,” Scott said. “He went through everything [Saturday] and it wasn’t bad, looked pretty good. Said he feels great. I think he’s lying to me. But other than that, I like what I saw [Saturday] a little bit better than what I saw [Friday].”

Bryant had been out six days resting his shoulder before he played Wednesday night at Denver.

But he didn’t play in the second half against the Nuggets because the shoulder became too painful.

Scott said he was going to call Bryant later Saturday to see how the 20-year veteran felt.

“This is one of those games, nationally televised, last time against the Warriors,” Scott said. “My gut would tell me that it’s probably ‘50-50.’ But I do want to talk to him today to see how he feels.”

The Lakers are 12-51, owning the second-worst record in the league.

They need to win 10 of their last 19 games in order to surpass last season’s 21-61 record, which was the worst in franchise history.

At least the Lakers are close to knowing where they stand in the playoff picture.

They will be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs if the Houston Rockets defeat the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night or if the Lakers lose to Golden State on Sunday.

LAKERS NEXT UP

VS. GOLDEN STATE

When: Sunday, 12:30 p.m.

Where: Staples Center.

On the air: TV: Channel 7; Radio: 710, 1330.

Records: Lakers 12-51, Warriors 55-5.

Record vs. Warriors: 0-3.

Update: The Lakers have lost their three games to the Warriors this season by an average of 24.3 points per game. The Warriors, with likely NBA most valuable player Stephen Curry, are on pace to break the Chicago Bulls’ all-time league record of 72 wins in a season. Curry, who owns the NBA record for three-pointers made in a single season, is seven shy of making 300 three-pointers.

Follow Broderick Turner on Twitter @BA_Turner