Lakers give Kobe night off against Nuggets

DENVER (AP) -- The Los Angeles Lakers gave Kobe Bryant the night off against Denver on Thursday, allowing the All-Star guard to rest his legs and aching right index finger.

Bryant is averaging 27.1 points a game this season, but has been bothered by the finger. He was a combined 13 of 47 from the floor in his last two games.

The Lakers are still fighting for the top seed in the Western Conference. But they need just one more win in their last five contests to wrap it up. Either that or a Nuggets loss.

The move with Bryant is similar to the one Cleveland made with LeBron James earlier in the night. With the league's best record in hand, the Cavaliers sat out James with "some bumps and bruises."