Kobe Bryant

The Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant has the night off to allow for the second game in a row to him rest his aching legs and right index finger.Bryant was against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, one night after he scratched not play in a loss to Denver.

The Lakers only need one victory or one loss to the Nuggets last five games to lock up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Bryant's sore finger contributed to 13 of 47 shots in his last two games, as Coach Phil Jackson chose him leave to rest to get ready for the playoffs.Jackson said he was not prepared to say whether Bryant will play against Portland on Sunday.

The game on Friday evening was the Lakers' only appearance in Minnesota this season, and Jackson said he ran into some fans at the team hotel, which had traveled from all over the upper Midwest, one of the league's most dynamic players in Action to be seen.The Timberwolves, the worst team in the Western Conference have all season to attract the fans, but fighting had expected a pretty full house for the game against the Lakers and Bryant.