Kobe Bryant gave it a go on his severely sprained ankle Friday night against the Indiana Pacers, staying on the floor for 12 minutes but having little impact on the box score. Bryant was 0-for-4 from the field and didn't register a point, but his presence seemed to lift the Lakers to a 99-93 road win.
Steve Nash praised Bryant's gutty attempt to play, saying "He was great, he was engaged and he wanted us to win. So we had a lot of energy over there." Initial reports said that Bryant would be "out indefinitely" and even though he started the game, he clearly was not himself. An ESPN recap quotes Bryant as saying "It really just continued to swell and I couldn't put any weight on it, so I called it a night. I told them before the game, 'I don't know how much I have, but whatever I have, I'll give you."
Center Dwight Howard put forth a complete effort in carrying the Lakers past Indiana, scoring 20 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, dishing out four assists and blocking four shots. Steve Blake and Antawn Jamison had huge nights off the bench, combining for 35 points and hitting 9-of-14 3-pointers. As a team, the Lakers shot 50 percent from 3-point land on 26 shots.
Pacers' point guard George Hill did all he could to bring home a win, scoring 27 points on 11-of-19 shooting, but he simply didn't get enough help from his teammates or from the home crowd.
Following the loss, Hill expressed displeasure with the number of road fans infiltrating the Pacers' building, according to reports. "It sucks. It was 70 (Lakers fans) - 30 (Pacers fans) out there. These are the same people that want autographs after the game. We're out there in the community. We're doing our job, doing what we're supposed to do on and off the court. Something has to change. I tip my hat to this team. We've been trouble free. Been out in the community shaking hands, we're winning. It shouldn't feel like an away game, especially with an important like this. Tonight, that's what it felt like."
The report originated from Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star, who made clear that Hill made those comments loudly to center Roy Hibbert in the locker room, within earshot of reporters. He was not addressing a direct question.
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