Kobe Bryant’s shin injury to keep him out against Spurs

Kobe Bryant will miss his third consecutive game, when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday, as he continues to recover from a sore left shin.

Bryant was kicked in the shin during the Lakers’ March 31 win over the New Orleans Hornets—when Bryant missed his first 15 shots from the field before scoring 11 late points, including the game-winning 3-pointer with 20 seconds left. While the injury is improving, he won’t suit up for the Spurs game, according the Los Angeles Times.

Bryant is dealing with tenosynovitis in his shin and has worn a walking boot the last several days, according to the Times. Tenosynvitis is when a tendon sheath becomes inflamed, a condition Lakers trainer Gary Vitti described as “very painful.”

The Lakers are just 1 1/2 games ahead of the Clippers for the Pacific Division lead. They currently hold the No. 3 seed in the West, but are two games ahead of No. 5 Memphis. Should they drop to fifth or worse, they would not have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

There is no timetable for Bryant’s return, the Times notes.