Obtained in a trade this month with the Memphis Grizzlies, he has averaged 20.5 points and 8.3 rebounds in six games. Now he just needs to find a place to live in L.A.

By Steve Springer, Los Angeles Times

MINNEAPOLIS — After 15 days on the road, the Lakers are happy to be home.

All but Pau Gasol, that is. He has nothing to dream about.

For Gasol, obtained in a Feb. 1 trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, the flight to Los Angeles ended like all the other stops on this marathon trip: in a hotel bed. Obtained after the trip was already underway, Gasol flew to L.A. for a physical, stayed a few hours, and was back in the air, en route to Washington, D.C., to meet his new teammates.

The man who has become an instant hero in L.A., who has almost single-handedly transformed the image of the Lakers from playoff hopefuls to title contenders, has yet to even hear the cheers of his home crowd.

“It is very strange,” said the 7-foot, 260-pound center/forward, “but that’s just the way it is. I’ll stay in a hotel until I can find a place to live. It’s been crazy, but I am excited and motivated by the move.”

He’d be crazy not to be. Gasol has gone from a 14-37 team mired at the bottom of the Southwest Division to a Laker team that is 34-17 after Wednesday’s 117-92 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In Gasol’s six games as a Laker, he is averaging 20.5 points and 8.3 rebounds, and is hitting 64.5% from the floor.

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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Kobe Bryant was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right pinkie finger Thursday and the Lakers All-Star has decided not to undergo surgery that could sideline him for six weeks.

The damage occurred when Bryant dislocated the finger at New Jersey on Feb. 5, and was aggravated in Wednesday night’s game at Minnesota.

The team said Thursday that the damage was more extensive than first believed. There is a complete tear of the radial collateral ligament and avulsion fracture, in which a small bone fragment had been pulled off by a tendon.

Bryant was examined in Los Angeles by Dr. Steven Shin, a hand specialist who recommended surgery to repair the ligament.

“My current thinking is to give my finger some treatment and rest for a few days, and hope I can still continue to compete at a high level after that rest,” Bryant said in statement.

“I would prefer to delay any surgical procedure until after our Lakers season, and this summer’s Olympic Games. But this is an injury that myself and the Lakers medical staff will just have to continue to monitor on a day-to-day basis.”

It was unclear if Bryant will play in Sunday’s All-Game at New Orleans. But he will skip the 3-point shooting contest, with Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas replacing him.

NBA officials are still planning for Kobe Bryant to play in Sunday’s All-Star game after the Los Angeles Lakers announced that their star has decided to forgo surgery on his injured right pinkie.While Bryant has pulled out of the three-point contest, league officials said Thursday evening they expect the Western Conference’s leading vote-getter to play on Sunday in New Orleans.

Even if Bryant would prefer to skip the All-Star game to rest, he would have a difficult time convincing the league to give him a pass because he played Wednesday against Minnesota and, for now, hopes to also play in the Lakers’ game against Atlanta on Tuesday. One league official described it as “standard procedure” for a player to have to participate in the All-Star game if he played in his team’s games leading up to the break and isn’t definitely sidelined for subsequent games.

The Lakers announced Thursday that Bryant had been diagnosed with a complete tear of his radial collateral ligament and an avulsion fracture, in which a small fragment of bone had been pulled off by a tendon. The team said Bryant will try to play through the injury rather than have surgery, which could sideline him up to six weeks.

Bryant initially injured his pinkie on Feb. 5, at which time it was diagnosed as a dislocation. He aggravated the injury Wednesday night against the Timberwolves.

“My current thinking is to give my finger some treatment and rest for a few days, and hope I can still continue to compete at a high level after that rest,” Bryant said in a statement released by the team. “I would prefer to delay any surgical procedure until after our Lakers season, and this summer’s Olympic Games. But, this is an injury that myself and the Lakers’ medical staff will just have to continue to monitor on a day-to-day basis.”

Dirk Nowitzki will replace Bryant in the three-point contest.

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kobe Bryant’s finger is still bothering him, and the Lakers star was set to see a doctor in Los Angeles on Thursday to determine whether he’ll play in the All-Star game this weekend.

Bryant, who dislocated his right pinkie last week, scored 29 points in 35 minutes in Wednesday’s 117-92 win at Minnesota. Bryant sat out the fourth quarter and had the finger X-rayed after the game.

Coach Phil Jackson said he’d prefer Bryant not play in the All-Star game. Bryant said he’ll travel to New Orleans for the festivities, but he’s probably out for the 3-point contest and isn’t sure about suiting up for Sunday’s exhibition.

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By KEVIN DING - The Orange County Register

MINNEAPOLIS — The Lakers took the court for the ninth and final game of the longest continuous trip in their Los Angeles history with the giddiness of kids in the car antsy to reach their destination.

“Are we there yet?!?!”

They certainly are.

And just as Coach Phil Jackson, the father figure driving their family station wagon, always preaches, they enjoyed the journey, too. With a 117-92 cakewalk over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night, the Lakers finished 7-2 — the best record in modern NBA history on a continuous trip of at least nine games.

“They can sense the fact we’re going to be a pretty good team now,” Jackson said of his players.

To borrow Lamar Odom’s favorite word, it was a “festive” capper in Minnesota, with Odom posting a triple-double: 10 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. He spent the first 4:10 of the fourth quarter hunting that 10th assist. After four letdowns when teammates missed off his passes, Sasha Vujacic finally made a layup for Odom. Kobe Bryant sprang off the bench with an open-mouthed, sideways grin, waving a white towel over his head.

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