BRYANT MAY GIVE IT A GO LAKERS OPTIMISTIC AFTER HE PRACTICES.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

CLEVELAND - A month to the day since he went up for a rebound and came down with a severely sprained right ankle, Kobe Bryant is expected to return to the Lakers' lineup this afternoon against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Bryant practiced Saturday for the first time since suffering the injury and will decide this morning whether or not he will play. He has sat out the past 14 games, watching as the Lakers slipped two spots in the standings and coach Rudy Tomjanovich abruptly resigned.

The biggest concern today might be the negative karma Bryant will have to overcome. Both times he has played against LeBron James and the Cavaliers the past two seasons, Bryant has ended up on the injured list afterward.

``I'm due a game against the Cavs,'' Bryant said. ``Let alone a good game. Just a game. Just a half, at least.''

After saying two days ago in Detroit that Bryant would not play against Cleveland, interim coach Frank Hamblen changed his tune when he saw Bryant running the offense and firing jumpers on the practice floor at Gund Arena.

``That was the first time I'd seen him on the court,'' Hamblen said. ``Anytime you see Kobe Bryant on the court, your optimism soars.''

There were conflicting accounts of how Bryant looked Saturday. Hamblen said practice was ``a little rough,'' but Caron Butler said Bryant made some ``spectacular'' moves and seemingly had no trouble with his conditioning.

``He looked good,'' Lamar Odom added. ``For it being a month, he was sharp. I think that's why he practiced, to kind of let us know that he's going to be out there (today). We want him out there.

``It was good for us not to have him, but we just wanted it to be a short period of time. I didn't know it was going to be for a month. Two or three games, it would have given us a little rev-up to win without him. But now it's time to have him back on the court.''

Bryant pronounced his ankle at 75 percent and said: ``I was encouraged (Saturday). I was able to get out there and run around. It felt pretty good. It's pretty sore right now, but I'm hoping (today) when I wake up, it doesn't hurt that much.''

Bryant was injured six minutes into the Lakers' Jan. 13 game when he landed on the foot of Cleveland's Ira Newble. He said that although the ankle has not yet fully recovered, he can play and expects to reach 100 percent in the coming days.

The Lakers have lost seven of their past 10 games and need Bryant back as soon as possible.

``At least we're in it, considering everything we've been through,'' Bryant said. ``This stretch said a lot about us as a team and our character.''

Bryant said the plantar fasciitis in his left foot, which had bothered him since the season's second week, has healed. The Lakers likely would send rookie Tony Bobbitt, who has been nursing a sprained ankle, to the injured list in activating Bryant.

The biggest boost Bryant would provide upon his return comes through his knowledge both of the penetrate-and-pitch offense Tomjanovich used and the triangle offense Hamblen hopes to employ more often.

Bryant was averaging 27.5 points, 42 minutes and 20.6 shots per game before he went down. Hamblen didn't think Butler, Odom and the other Lakers would have any difficulty with Bryant returning.

``More double-teams,'' said Butler, who will move back to small forward. ``Yours truly will be open.''

Ross Siler, [phone]

ross.siler(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1) Kobe Bryant went down with a severely sprained ankle Jan. 13 against Cleveland. He could play today against the Cavaliers.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer

(2 -- color) no caption (Kobe Bryant)

Box:

(1) LAKERS at CLEVELAND

- Ross Siler

(2) KOBE JINX?