Kobe’s injury

Kobe Bryant injured some part of his leg in the fourth quarter tonight. Depending on the source being asked, it’s either his quad (Bryant) or his groin (the Lakers). Regardless, as you’ll see in the game story, Bryant missed the crucial stretch of the fourth quarter. Given the time constraints — the NBA bows to thee, oh mighty ESPN — I wasn’t able to get Kobe quotes in the story, but here’s what he told The Associated Press:

“It felt like a little tweak, and I tried to shake it off and stretch it out,” Bryant said. “As soon as I took off running, it felt like I was shot in the leg.”

Bryant said he would play Sunday against the Clippers. One other good quote…somebody asked Kobe whether this loss meant the Lakers now had a real rivalry with the Warriors.

“This is nothing. This is like slap-boxing,” Bryant said. “For a real rivalry, you have to match up in the playoffs. The regular season is nothing.”