(The Spread) – After losing Game 4 to the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a first round battle. Adding injury to insult, Kobe Bryant was given crutches after a struggling night on the hardwood.
View Current 2011 NBA Playoff Odds
Oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL.com listed the Lakers as 6-point favorites over the Hornets on Sunday night. New Orleans covered outright in a 93-88 victory, as Chris Paul finished with 27 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists.
Bryant failed to score in the first half and wound up missing his first seven shots total. He did finish with 17 points, six rebounds and eight assists, but was just 5-for-18 shooting. He was giving crutches after the game for a left foot/ankle sprain that he suffered during the fourth quarter.
While the injury looked bad on television, Kobe says he will play in Game 5. The Lakers consider him to be “questionable” for the next game, but his status could change pending a MRI. Bryant did mention after Game 4 that he was “concerned” about the injury, but noted that he’s “played through so many of them it kind of becomes old hat for me.”
Despite Bryant’s injury, the Lakers are 10.5-point favorites for Game 5 on Tuesday night in L.A.
Want More From TheSpread.com? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!