Kobe Bryant injury: Was the play dirty?

Kobe Bryant sprained his left ankle severely Wednesday night, an injury may have dire implications for the Los Angeles Lakers, who have fought their way up to the eighth seed in the Western Conference. But, in the immediate aftermath of the play, Bryant was steamed because of what he said was a “dirty and dangerous” play by the Atlanta Hawks’ Dahntay Jones. Bryant was hurt when he landed on Jones’s foot as he attempted a shot that would have tied the score late in the Lakers’ 96-92 loss to the Hawks. Afterward, Bryant emailed Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarnowski to say that Jones “threw his hip and lower body into mine on the shot. That’s a foul with 100 percent certainty. Dirty and dangerous play. Doesn’t belong in the game.” X-rays of Bryant’s ankle were negative and he’s listed as “out indefinitely,” with the Lakers playing the Indiana Pacers next on Friday night. After the game, Bryant told reporters that Jones “Jalen Rose’d me,” a reference to a similar play on which he sprained his ankle in the 2000 NBA Finals.