Kobe Bryant is sitting out his third straight game to rest his sore body, missing the Lakers' game Friday night at Dallas.
Bryant was sidelined Tuesday night when Los Angeles beat NBA-leading Golden State, then again Christmas night at Chicago. The game against the Mavericks was the third in four nights for the Lakers.
The 36-year-old Bryant has said his knees, feet, back and Achilles tendons are all sore.
In his 19th NBA season, Bryant entered Friday third in the league in scoring at 24.6 points per game.
He passed Michael Jordan for third place on the career scoring list Dec. 14 at Minnesota.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
