quote:

---

The injury is not expected to keep Bynum from playing going forward in the playoffs.

---

quote:

---

Most notable among those was the time Bryant rolled into Bynum's knee last season and tore Bynum's MCL.

"It's part of playing the game," Bynum said. "Stuff happens."

But you know what happens when Bynum's on the court, when his body feels good enough and the referee's whistle doesn't blow too often on him and he actually gets minutes?

Good stuff.

He had 17 points and four blocked shots Tuesday night, taking full advantage of his size on both ends of the court.

The cartilage tear brings him pain, especially when he jumps and lands. The knee swells after games. The medical staff has told him he can't damage it further; it's a matter of how much pain he can tolerate. After missing 132 regular-season games, and the entire 2008 playoffs, and irritating the Lakers by following some outside medical and training advice, there was some skepticism about just how much he would give them.

---