Kobe Bryant vows to return before end of regular season

Kobe Bryant missed his fifth straight game on Sunday but tried to end speculation that he’ll sit out for the rest of the regular season because of a sore shin.

The L.A. Times reported this weekend that Bryant has been “walking without pain but still doesn't have a timetable for a return.”

He’ll be cleared to play, according to The Times, when he’s able to run and jump pain-free.

But the Lakers beat the Dallas Mavericks, 112-108, in overtime Sunday for their fourth consecutive win, and The Times wrote that if the Lakers “keep winning, there's no need to push him into the lineup.”

While the Lakers have clinched a spot in the playoffs, they’re still battling the Clippers for the Pacific Division title and could still end up as low as fifth in the Western Conference, which would mean not having home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs. In other words, they still have plenty of incentive to win.