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Reports: Kobe Bryant Refuses To Get MRI, Will Play Game 5

(CBS/AP) -- The Los Angeles Lakers want Kobe Bryant to get a MRI on his injured left ankle, but the superstar is refusing and he says he will play in game 5 on Tuesday night according to multiple reports.

The Lakers were in the same situation last spring, tied at 2 in their first-round playoff series against a young, hungry opponent.

Although the Lakers escaped that jam against Oklahoma City, things may be a bit different with the Hornets given Bryant's ankle injury and the way Chris Paul has carved up the defense of the Lakers.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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