By Jordan Walters
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a surprising 12-5 start and first place in the Pacific Division despite franchise player Kobe Bryant not being 100 percent entering the season coming off knee surgery in the offseason.

However, Bryant has been back to his normal future Hall of Fame self lately and is averaging 26.9 points (including a 52-point explosion last week) on 49 percent shooting this season. So all seemed well in L.A.

Not so fast?

During Monday night's Lakers win against the Pacers, Bryant left the game in the third quarter after rolling his ankle after landing on another player's foot. Bryant was helped off the court before walking to the dressing room without assistance.

Bryant returned to the bench for the final seven-plus minutes of the third quarter and said he could have played if necessary. As Bryant sat on the bench, he tested his ankle and then used a large elastic band to keep it loose. He didn't ice it. Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he asked Bryant about the possibility of playing in the fourth quarter.

"He said, `I don't know what I can do out there, I don't know if I can hold up,' "' Jackson said."I said, `No problem.' "

The Lakers are listing Bryant as day to day and said it was a moderate sprain. X-rays were negative, but NBA bettors on WagerWeb.com should be aware that Bryant's availability for Wednesday's game against New Orleans is very uncertain.

"It should be a lot worse the way I came down on it," Bryant said Monday night. "I'm happy I feel the way I feel right now. It should be a lot worse."

Yet NBA fans may remember that Kobe missed 14 games in the 2004-05 season after suffering a severely sprained ankle.


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