Utah Jazz: MVP Bryant planning on playing Game 5 against Jazz

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Kobe Bryant met the media Monday with a new companion — an electronic stimulation device hooked up to his sore lower back.

Plans call for the two to spend a lot of time together for the next couple of days, or longer.

The Los Angeles Lakers' star tweaked his back in the opening minutes of Sunday's 123-115 overtime loss at Utah that tied the Western Conference semifinals 2-2.

"It's pretty sore right now," Bryant said Monday. "It's tight. It's to be expected the next day, I guess. I don't know how I made it through the game, to be honest with you."

Bryant said he was receiving treatment around the clock.

"Secret stuff," he replied with a smile when asked to be specific about the treatment.

Regarding the electronic stimulating device, Bryant said he had slept with it on Sunday night.

"It cuts down the pain," he said. "How, I don't know."

The teams play Game 5 in the best-of-seven series Wednesday night at Staples Center, where the Lakers are 16-3 against the Jazz since the arena opened before the 1999-2000 season.

Bryant said he was just glad Game 5 wasn't being played tonight.

"It was give me another day to recuperate," he said. "I'll be ready to play. I can't imagine it being any worse than it was last night."

Bryant conducted his post-game news conference standing up because of the discomfort in his back.

"I had to keep my poise to keep from yelling all kind of curse words," he said.

Bryant shot just 13-for-33 including 1-for-7 in overtime while scoring 33 points.

"I just couldn't elevate, get enough space to knock down a jump shot," he said. "When you have a back injury, you try not to re-injure it. I rarely hurt my back; I remember one time when I was 21."

When asked if perhaps he shouldn't have taken so many shots in overtime, what with the sore back, Bryant replied: "I got some pretty good looks; they didn't fall for me."

Pau Gasol, for one, had no problem with Bryant's aggressiveness in the overtime period.

"He's so competitive, he demands the ball no matter what he's feeling," Gasol said. "He never hides. I respect the fact that he was playing. It's hard to play with back problems."