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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
MILWAUKEE (AP) – The Los Angeles Lakers lost the game, the season series -- and Kobe Bryant.
|  | | Shaquille O'Neal took the game at Joel Przybilla, scoring 36 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. |
Bryant aggravated a sprained left ankle and had to be helped off the court late in the fourth quarter of a 107-100 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.
When asked if he would have to take time off to rest for the playoffs, Bryant sounded discouraged.
"Right now, I might not have a choice," he said. "We'll see what happens."
The ankle will be x-rayed when the team returns to Los Angeles,
and Bryant's status is listed as day-to-day.
"If it's sprained, we can deal with it," coach Phil Jackson
said. "We won't know about that until tomorrow."
With the Lakers trailing 99-92 and less than a minute to play,
Bryant drove the lane as Bucks center Ervin Johnson charged at him.
Bryant landed awkwardly just before he passed to Shaquille O'Neal,
who dunked with 45.9 seconds left.
Bryant collapsed in a heap, holding his left ankle. His teammates rushed to help him and, after a short delay, he was helped into the locker room.
Bryant said both his ankles hurt throughout the game, which
helped explain his 14 points on 4-of-15 shooting. He also had eight
assists and four turnovers.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said that Brynat jammed the ankle when
he came down.
"Kobe did not have a game that he normally has. His injury on
top of it was demoralizing," Jackson said.
Jackson said he thought Bryant stayed within the game plan, although he probably was hurting more than he let on.
"It didn't look like he shot was consistently there."
Sam Cassell scored 27 points and Glenn Robinson added 26 as the Bucks swept the season series for the first time in a decade.
O'Neal had 36 points and made 12 of 15 free throws and Rick Fox
added 19 points.
Ray Allen had 16 points and the Bucks were perfect from the free
throw line in the final 1:21, going 12-for-12 for their first home
victory over the Lakers since Nov. 5, 1994.
"You can't beat the Bucks if you give them so many foul shots in the fourth quarter," Jackson said.
The Lakers finished their five-game road trip with three victories and two consecutive losses.
The Bucks never led by more than nine points in the fourth
quarter, but played with poise and confidence to preserve the victory.
After six ties and five lead changes in the third, the Bucks
went ahead for good 64-61 on Cassell's three-point play with 2:48
left in the quarter.
Cassell and Allen kept the Lakers from pulling away late in the
second quarter. Each scored four points, and the Lakers turned the
ball over twice to help Milwaukee cut a 16-point deficit to 44-40
at the half.
O'Neal and the Lakers went right at rookie Joel Przybilla and
the cold-shooting Bucks in the opening minutes.
O'Neal bulled his way past the Bucks center for two layups and
added a free throw and an assist. He finished with nine points and
five rebounds as Los Angeles led 25-15 after one. The Bucks hurt
themselves by making only six of 22 shots.
Game notes
Lakers guard Ron Harper had successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. He has been on the injured list since Feb. 18 and will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks. ... It was the
10th sellout for the Bucks in 35 games and their eighth in the last
17 games. ... It was a matchup of two of the three NBA teams
scoring at least 100 points per game. The Lakers are at 101.2, the Bucks
lead the Eastern Conference at 100.5, but Sacramento is the best at
101.4.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
LA Lakers Clubhouse
Milwaukee Clubhouse
RECAPS
San Antonio 97
Boston 77
Indiana 96
Orlando 95
Charlotte 111
Toronto 95
Miami 109
Chicago 81
Milwaukee 107
LA Lakers 100
Minnesota 109
Dallas 97
Washington 99
Golden State 94
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Kobe Bryant doesn't believe his injury is a sprain.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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