Ten Before Tip: NBA news from Sunday

2013/12/09 02:38:54 @NBA.com: News

? On any other night, the seven-player trade that caused Raptors second-leading scorer Rudy Gay to be pulled from the starting lineup about 2 ½ hours before tonight's game against the Lakers would dominate the pre-game discussion, but even that news couldn't overshadow the return of Kobe Bryant. The Lakers all-time leading scorer will begin his 18th season with the franchise six weeks later than normal after tearing his left Achilles tendon April 12 on the same floor at Staples Center. Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni will start Bryant at shooting guard with Jodie Meeks moving back to the bench, adding there's "no hard line" as far as the amount of minutes Bryant will play. It was on a Sunday night against the visiting Raptors nearly eight years ago that Bryant recorded his career-high 81-point game.
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