LAKERS NOTEBOOK: KOBE'S ILLS BROUGHT UP AGAIN.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO - Kobe Bryant, still haunted by a bad bacon cheeseburger, suffered another bout of gastrointestinal distress Wednesday and had to leave the Lakers' practice.

The Lakers believe Bryant will be fine by Friday evening, when they play the Sacramento Kings in Game 3 of the conference finals at Staples Center. But it's uncertain whether he will practice this morning.

``I'm an optimist and I believe in positive things happening, and I don't see anything that could possibly deter him from playing,'' coach Phil Jackson said.

Bryant got food poisoning Sunday night from a room-service meal at the downtown Hyatt in Sacramento, and spent several hours vomiting. He needed four bags of intravenous fluids to play Monday night but was in great spirits afterward.

The Lakers took the day off Tuesday and Bryant slept most of the day.

It was assumed he was back to full health. But then he began feeling ill during Wednesday morning's film session and again during a brief workout and had to leave the court several times to throw up.

``He was struggling,'' Rick Fox said. ``He couldn't stay out here.''

Team physician Dr. John Moe examined Bryant on Wednesday and confirmed the prior diagnosis of food poisoning. Tests results all came back normal. But it is possible the food left Bryant with a bacterial infection, and Moe prescribed antibiotics as a precautionary measure.

Bryant also was given medication for stomach cramping, and his symptoms could persist for a few days.

``Knowing Kobe, he probably thought he could jump right back in and maybe jumped in too fast to food or something, and his system wasn't quite ready for that,'' Jackson said.

As for his ability to play Friday, ``We're not going to make an issue out of it, any bigger than you guys (in the media) do, and you have a penchant for doing those types of things,'' Jackson said. ``So we'll try and downplay it. You guys overplay it a little bit.''

--Plane truth: Bryant's sudden relapse took the team by surprise. He had been positively bubbly on the flight home Monday night, pumping up teammates after the Lakers' 96-90 loss.

``His spirits were good,'' Brian Shaw said. ``He seemed like he had a lot of energy. He was laughing and joking and playing around a little bit, acting his normal self. ... Sometimes it works out that way. You're really drained and it takes a good run, a good sweat, to make you feel a little bit better. So we're keeping our fingers crossed, hoping that he's OK.''

--Burgergate: This is all serious stuff in Sacramento, where the media has treated the story with the kind of scrutiny usually reserved for meetings of the state water rights board.

According to Wednesday's edition of the Sacramento Bee, the county's environmental-management department called the Hyatt to inquire about the incident. However, no investigation is planned.

The Bee also reported that police have no interest in the case - ``First we need evidence that a crime occurred,'' Lt. Daniel Hahn told the paper.

As for the Hyatt, hotel general manager Jerry Westenhaver got a little snippy over the whole affair, calling suggestions of foul play pure ``hype.''

``This is the competitive nature of the Kings and Lakers and should be played out on the basketball floor, not in the hotel,'' Westenhaver told the Bee.

The Lakers, incidentally, will return Monday to the scene of the presumed non-crime. Bound by a previously signed contract, they're staying at the Hyatt for Game 5 and, if necessary, Game 7.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

KOBE BRYANT

He's still feeling the effects of food poisoning, forcing him to leave Wednesday's practice.

Box:

LAKERS vs. SACRAMENTO: Series tied 1-1