Technically speaking, the Lakers are in trouble, and not just because they're in a three-way logjam for second place in the Western Conference.
Kobe Bryant is collecting technical fouls in a flurry and will be automatically suspended by the league for one game if he picks up one more technical in the Lakers' last 10 regular-season games.
He has 15 technical fouls after receiving two in Wednesday's embarrassing 108-95 home loss to Charlotte.
Bryant had only four technical fouls through Jan. 12, but has since gone on a virtual one-a-week spree, collecting 11 in the last 11 weeks.
It has been an uncomfortable issue for the Lakers at the end of the last few seasons. Bryant had 14 technical fouls last season and 15 in 2005-06.
In addition, he has racked up $22,500 in fines associated with technical fouls this season. He was sent a warning letter by the NBA after he picked up his 12th technical foul earlier this month.
If Bryant received his 16th technical in the last game of the regular season, against Sacramento on April 15, he would be suspended for the first game of the playoffs.
Bryant left without talking to reporters after Thursday's practice.
"I'm sure he's aware of it and I know that he'd be concerned about it," Coach Phil Jackson said. "He did not intentionally or in any way or degree think he was going to get that last technical. He's been kind of punting the ball over to the referees for about the last week-and-a-half. This one, the referee just wasn't going to take it."
On top of being suspended if he picked up a 16th technical foul, Bryant would be suspended for another game if he reached 18 in the regular season.
"We don't want to lose him, but it could happen," Jackson said. "We wouldn't want to lose him for a playoff game, that's for sure."
Players are allowed six technical fouls in the playoffs before being suspended for a game after picking up a seventh.
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Center Pau Gasol might return Sunday against Washington after a pain-free day with his sprained left ankle.
He did some one-on-one drills Thursday with assistant coach Kurt Rambis at the team's training facility. Some post moves still bothered him when he made quick turns, but he felt "pretty good," he said. "I'll just wait until probably Saturday to go through a full practice, see how it feels."
