Kobe Bryant expected to play Sunday vs. Golden State

"The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant #24 during their game against the Spurs at the Staples Center Friday, November 14, 2014(Photo by Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News)"

“The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant #24 during their game against the Spurs at the Staples Center Friday, November 14, 2014(Photo by Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News)”

It was only the night before that Kobe Bryant ended his worst shooting performance of his 19-year career battling a viral infection that left him lifeless.

The Lakers’ star conceded uncertainty on how he would face through his latest adversity despite overcoming too many injuries to count. Bryant suggested he would have to change his recovery program. Bryant spoke openly about Father Time delivering a lethal blow that has become harder for the the 36-year-old to overcome in his 19th NBA season.

Yet, the Lakers (1-8) still expect that Bryant will play Sunday when they host the Golden State Warriors (6-2) at Staples Center.

“You would have to amputate his leg for him not to play tomorrow,” Scott said after Saturday’s practice at the Lakers’ facility in El Segundo. “If he feels 20 percent better than he felt last night, he’ll say I’m good. I never scratch him out of anything except practice. When it comes to playing, he’s the one guy I know that if he can walk, he’s probably going to play.”

Bryant posted only nine points on 1-of-14 shooting in 36 minutes in Friday’s 93-80 loss to San Antonio at Staples Center, his worst shooting numbers since going 1-of-8 on Feb. 12, 2013 against Phoenix. Afterwards, Bryant revealed he felt “a little achy” beginning Friday morning and said he will change his training regiment so he could overcome his latest ilness.

Bryant missed Saturday’s practice and also skipped a charity event he was scheduled to participate in the United HomeWalk earlier that morning, an event stemmed to raise awareness for homelessness. Scott also reported that Lakers’ trainer Gary Vitti said Bryant has “flu-like symptoms.” Incidentally, the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks Corey Perry and Francois Beauchemin were diagnosed this week with the mumps.

“Mumps, chickenpox; it could be all that stuff,” Scott said. “But I’m not going to speculate on none of them. I don’t know. If its in the mumps or chicken pox, I don’t want him to come in tomorrow.”

Yet, Scott hardly sounded as conservative with his approach on how he has handled Bryant’s minutes.

In the past five games, Bryant has averaged 37.6 minutes, which is slightly under the 38 minutes he averaged in the previous two seasons prior to injuring his left Achilles tendon. Bryant has never exceeded the 30-to-40 minute threshold Scott has outlined for the Lakers’ star this season. But Bryant played the entire first and third quarter of Friday’s loss to San Antonio despite his illness.

“I think he can handle the 30-40 minutes handle very easily,” Scott said. “He hasn’t shown any signs of letting down when it comes to that. That’s the least of my worries right now with his minutes and trying to keep them to a minimum.”

Instead, Scott will continue to rely on Bryant, whose 25.4 points per game has represented the lone positive development during a 1-8 start.

“As the game went on he started feeling worse and that caught up to him as well. It catches all of us,” Scott said. “But in the same breath, he has a lot left in that tank. He’s playing at an unbelievable level.”

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