McGrady also called Kobe Bryant the toughest player in the league to guard … over LeBron James.

“No doubt, Kobe,” McGrady said. “No doubt. The man is just a fierce competitor. He tries to rip your heart out no matter who he plays, night in and night out. Bron is one of them guys, he gets buckets, but he also is an unselfish player. Kobe? Nah. He trying to take your heart. He gonna get it.”

Post from: Lakers blog

Kobe Bryant certainly played very well Thursday night and was in fine spirits after the game. But he also took nearly a full hour after the game ended to meet with reporters — easily a season-high delay — primarily because he was getting what he referred to as “maintenance” work done by rehabilitation specialist Judy Seto before meeting the rest of the team for the flight to Portland.

Bryant donned a protective sleeve over his right knee for the game against Denver, even though he said after the game Tuesday night in Sacramento that his overall health was good. Bryant had surgery on that right knee in 2006, hyperextended it in an October exhibition in San Diego this season and periodically has dealt with knee tendinitis.

Just something to keep an eye on amid the Lakers’ joy — and Andrew Bynum’s especially refreshing individual joy — over how well another right knee (Bynum’s) held up in the victory over the Nuggets.

Post from: Lakers blog

It’s a reflection of Bryant’s polarizing nature that he ranks this high in this poll yet also tied for third in a previously released poll asking players whom they’d least like to have on their teams.

James won this poll of 190 players with 32 percent of the vote, followed by Bryant (13 percent), Steve Nash (8), Kevin Garnett (7) and Chris Paul (7).

My column previewing this trip asked the question of whether the Lakers could still gain home-court advantage over Cleveland, but the point in that discussion was that they should still do very well on this trip in part because of the rather light competition.

It will help if Detroit’s Richard Hamilton (groin) can’t make it back to face the Lakers on Thursday and New Jersey’s Devin Harris (shoulder) can’t make it back to face the Lakers on Friday. Hamilton seems pretty iffy and Harris seems doubtful, and both teams run their offenses through those guys these days.

The Lakers didn’t really hold a formal practice Sunday in Chicago but will reconvene Monday afternoon in Oklahoma City. They’ll have a big experience edge on the improved Thunder before the back-to-back in Detroit and New Jersey.

Then there’s the toughest game on the trip in every logical way: Atlanta on Sunday. The Hawks have talent and a track record of home success, but I just don’t think they are well coached or very tough inside and I expect Kobe Bryant to have a big game against Joe Johnson. (Atlanta’s starting small forward Marvin Williams is also out with a bad back, and ex-Laker Maurice Evans has been starting in his place.)

If the Lakers can survive to that point, all that’s left is a final back-to-back set with Charlotte and Milwaukee, two teams currently standing outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture (as is New Jersey, by the way). The Lakers will have major motivation to beat Charlotte (the Bobcats have won five of the past six from the Lakers, including that double-overtimer this season at Staples Center just before the Lakers left for their 6-0 trip). And Milwaukee has neither Michael Redd (knee) nor Andrew Bogut (back).

Sixers forward Andre Iguodala got the trip off to a rip roaring start by sinking a 3-pointer at the final buzzer, to catapult Philadelphia over the Lakers.

The Lakers had a foul to give in the final seconds but Trevor Ariza, who was guarding Iguodala, chose to play straight up defense on the pivotal last possession. Iguodala’s shot from straight away, beyond the arc, was lofted over Ariza’s outstretched hand.

Iguodala’s buzzer-beater snatched the hero’s hat off the head of Kobe Bryant, who with 6.6 seconds left, gave the Lakers the lead with a jump shot. Up to that moment, Bryant had missed his previous five shots in the quarter.

But Iguodala helped Philadelphia finish off a dramatic comeback. The Sixers trailed by 14 points in the third quarter before surging back to seize the lead in the fourth quarter.

The Lakers enjoyed one of their better shooting halves in the first two quarters, when they converted 58.8 percent of their field-goal tries. Philadelphia only shot 39.6 percent from the field.

Yet, the game was deadlocked 50-all at halftime because the Lakers committed 11 turnovers that led to 11 Sixer points, Philadelphia made 11 of 13 free-throw tries and the Sixers were ferocious on the offensive glass.

The splint was put on after one of Bryant’s front teeth was loosened when he took a charging foul against the Suns’ Leandro Barbosa and absorbed a hard blow to the mouth.

Bryant said although the area around his mouth that was hit remains sensitive he does not plan to wear a mouth guard Monday night when the Lakers visit the Portland Trail Blazers.

That’s because they aren’t.

Bryant said many times when he wants Gasol to do something on the court — but doesn’t want the other team to know — he yells at him in Spanish.

Bryant, having lived in Italy as a youngster, speaks Spanish, as well as some Italian. And Gasol, of course, is from Spain.

“When I see something in the game, but I don’t have time to run over to him, I just yell at him from half-court. Nobody else understands,” Bryant said. “The problem comes in when I need the other guys to understand what we’re saying and I can’t communicate with them because they don’t speak Spanish.

“That’s a problem.”

But not for the two stars, who have clicked on and off the court since Gasol’s arrival last season.

Sure, his presence was to help promote the Women’s Professional Soccer League that debuts March 29, but that’s not the only reason Bryant showed up.

Marta was the real reason.

Marta is considered the top women’s soccer player in the world, much like Bryant is considered the BIW (Best in the World) of basketball. While Marta’s interest in basketball is unknown, Bryant is a widely-known as a longtime fan of soccer, namely FC Barcelona and David Beckham. And now Marta.

“I’m beyond excited that she’s here,” Bryant said to the gathered media.

So who could you compare Marta to in the NBA?

“Me,” Bryant said.

Who’s to argue?

Four points that easily will be attained Friday against Minnesota. Four points needed to pass Robert Parish of Celtics’ fame.

At some point early in the game, Bryant wil move past Parish and into 18th place on the league’s all-time scoring list. Bryant stands at 23,331 points after scoring 31 Tuesday.

Parish scored 23,334 points during his career.

The list of all-timers that Bryant already has knocked aside this season is ladened with heavyweights — Larry Bird, Gary Payton, Clyde Drexler, Elgin Baylor and Adrian Dantley. Next up is Charles Barkley at No. 17 with 23,757 points and Allen Iverson at No. 16 with 23,960

With that in mind and belief that the bench corps has to step up its game, Lakers coach Phil Jackson gave them an extended run in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s victory over the Grizzlies.

It was a splendid opportunity for Sasaha Vujacic to break out of his shooting slump, for Josh Powell’s confidence to grow, for Jordan Farmar to return to the way he played before his knee injury, and for Jackson to test DJ Mbenga, just in case the sparingly-used center is needed in the post season.

Mbenga played with energy and exhuberance, a performance that was well appreciated by his teammates and Laker fans, alike.

“That type of effort is what we need on both ends of the floor,” Lakers guard Derek Fisher said.

Memphis has the NBA’s youngest starting lineup, with three rookies in that unit. One of those rookies, former USC star O.J. Mayo, described the season as a roller coaster experience.

But the energetic Grizzlies, who shot 34.8 percent from the field in the first half, trailed only by five points at halftime because they outrebounded the bigger Lakers and were near-flawless (12 of 13) from the free-throw line.

The Grizzlies’ hustle was manifested in the fact that 11 of their 26 first-half rebounds were gathered from the offensive glass. They turned that into eight second-chance points.

But Memphis was unable to put the brakes on the Lakers’ transition game. The Lakers had 15 fast-break points in the first half, including a brilliant fast break that started with a Lamar Odom rebound, an outlet pass to Kobe Bryant and a finishing assist to Pau Gasol for a dunk.

The ball never hit the floor between the time that Odom yanked it out of the air and Gasol flushed it through the basket.

The Lakers missed a reunion with former teammate Chris Mihm, whom the Grizzlies acquired from the Lakers last month in exchange for a conditional second-round draft pick. Mihm underwent surgery Tuesday on his right ankle.