Nose

Three days after suffering a broken nose and a concussion, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant will play tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Getting the OK to play was hardly an easy process. Bryant had to sucessfully complete numerous tests to prove he had no conscussion-related symptoms, including neurological, bicycle, Axon and treadmill tests as well as a game of two-on-two. But neurologist Vern Williams said Bryant "passed them all with flying colors. " Williams observed Bryant four times after a hard foul from Miami guard Dwyane Wade gave Bryant a broken nose and a concussion, including a visit less than an hour before the 7:30 p.m. tip time.

It's official: The Lakers are 1-0 in the Mask Era. Kobe Bryant and his plastic protective piece were a large part of the Lakers' 104-85 victory Wednesday over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Staples Center. Bryant had 31 points and eight assists but there's no need to send the item to the Hall of Fame. Mask Mania certainly isn't Linsanity. In fact, Bryant fiddled with it often in his first game since sustaining a broken nose, concussion and soft-tissue damage in his neck after taking a hard foul from Miami guard Dwyane Wade on Sunday in the All-Star game.

On a night where Kobe Bryant became the leading scorer in NBAAll-Star game history, he hardly looked like the best player on the court. In a game that could have featured a Bryant game-winner, he offered none. At a time where he could have showcased highlight reels, Bryant didn't have any. But that's fine. The Western Conference's 152-149 victory Sunday over the Eastern Conference showed how Bryant remains tough and relevant despite the obstacles thrown at him. LeBron James' 36 points on 15-of-23 shooting and numerous dunks revealed his tremendous talent.

  Game stories -- The Times' John Cherwa reports that Lakers guard Kobe Bryant suffered a nasal fracture during the 2012 NBA All-Star game and would be evaluated Monday in Los Angeles by an ear, nose and throat specialist. -- The New York Times' Howard Beck focuses on the Bryant passing Michael Jordan for the most points in NBA All-Star history. -- The Orange County Register's Janis Carr noted it was a rough night for Bryant and Andrew Bynum in the 2012 NBA All-Star game.

Reporting from Orlando, Fla. -- Kobe Bryant added another milestone to his career Sunday as he passed Michael Jordan to become the all-time-leading NBA All-Star game scorer. But did it come at a price? Bryant skipped a postgame media session after his 27-point performance, and was taken for further evaluation after he said he was "experiencing headaches. " The Lakers announced later that Bryant had suffered a nasal fracture and would be reevaluated Monday after he returned to Los Angeles by an ear, nose and throat specialist.

Mark Trumbo's workout got cut short Friday morning when the Angels infielder took a bad-hop ground ball to the nose. Though the impact caused quite a bit of bleeding, Trumbo's injury is not believed to be serious. "I was on my 30th repetition, turning double plays; the ball hit the lip [where the grass meets the dirt], shot up and got me in the nose," said Trumbo, a first baseman who is trying to make the transition to third base this season. "But I'm not going for X-rays, and the doctor said it's not broken.

Federal researchers say an infectious and lethal cold-loving fungus sweeping through parts of North America and Canada has killed millions more bats over the last five years than previously estimated. The rapidly spreading fungus responsible for white-nose syndrome is now believed to have killed 5.7 million to 6.7 million bats, a count several times higher than earlier estimates, across 16 states as far west as Oklahoma. The fungus, which scientists know as Geomyces destructans, seems to prefer the 25 species of hibernating bats.

Month after month, the financial forecasts for the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum seemed as sunny as could be. General Manager Patrick Lynch would tell his bosses on the Coliseum Commission that the box office from rave concerts was brisk and a lucrative deal for naming rights to the stadium could be just around the corner, records show. For the most part, the nine-member commission took the affable Lynch at his word. And why not? As L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe, who sits on the panel, said: "We were making money.

For more than two years the bank robber dubbed the Geezer Bandit has flummoxed law enforcement, pulling off 16 heists and leaving little evidence behind. Now the FBI concedes the catchy nickname that the agency bestowed on the bandit — and that helped make him a minor folk hero — may have been a misnomer. Amateur sleuths, taking their lead from television detective shows, have long surmised that the Geezer Bandit is not a senior between 60 and 70 years old, but a younger man, perhaps wearing a theatrical mask.