Kobe Bryant says Dahntay Jones' dangerous defense left him with a sprained left ankle, and the NBA agreed.
Now, the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping the injury doesn't keep their star away from a playoff push for long.
Bryant spent Thursday getting several hours of treatment on what he called the worst sprained ankle of his 17 NBA seasons, hoping to be healthy for Friday's game at Indiana.
Although the Lakers offered no update on his condition after saying Bryant was out ''indefinitely,'' the NBA acknowledged Jones should have been called for a foul on the play that left Bryant crumpled on the court in Atlanta.
The fifth-leading scorer in NBA history was hurt when he landed on Jones' foot with 4 seconds left after attempting a potential tying jumper in the Lakers' 96-92 loss to the Hawks on Wednesday night.
Bryant rolled on the ground and eventually left the court in anger and pain, furious about Jones' questionable tactics in sliding underneath him while Bryant hung in the air.
Now, the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping the injury doesn't keep their star away from a playoff push for long.
Bryant spent Thursday getting several hours of treatment on what he called the worst sprained ankle of his 17 NBA seasons, hoping to be healthy for Friday's game at Indiana.
Although the Lakers offered no update on his condition after saying Bryant was out ''indefinitely,'' the NBA acknowledged Jones should have been called for a foul on the play that left Bryant crumpled on the court in Atlanta.
The fifth-leading scorer in NBA history was hurt when he landed on Jones' foot with 4 seconds left after attempting a potential tying jumper in the Lakers' 96-92 loss to the Hawks on Wednesday night.
Bryant rolled on the ground and eventually left the court in anger and pain, furious about Jones' questionable tactics in sliding underneath him while Bryant hung in the air.