May 16, 2008 Coach Phil Jackson declared Kobe Bryant ready to go for Game 6 against Utah after Friday's shootaround, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. Jackson commented on Kobe's sore back, "I think he'll have no problem. He came out and shot with the rest of the players."
Our View:The Lakers lead the series against Utah 3-2, and it will take more than a sore back to keep Kobe out of tonight's crucial Game 6.
May 16, 2008 Kobe Bryant sat out Thursday's practice, resting his back, which he said felt "really, really tight" and "pretty sore" after Game 5, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
Our View:Kobe's back probably won't get better until this offseason, but he's certainly not going to sit out any playoff games as a result.
May 15, 2008 As usual, it was Laker guard Kobe Bryant leading the way in the Lakers' 111-104 win over the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinal series. Kobe went 6-of-10 from the floor, 1-of-2 from long range, and 13-of-17 from the free-throw line to score a team-high 26 points, adding six rebounds, seven assists and two steals to the stat line.
Our View:The supporting case was the key to victory this evening, a refreshing approach for Kobe as the team seeks to keep him happy moving forward.
