Kobe Bryant will not return for Friday's game against the Sacramento Kings, but could be available for Sunday against the Toronto Raptors.

Bryant practiced for the third consecutive day on Thursday and felt improvement in his left ankle.

“I mean, we’ve got to see how it feels (Thursday night)," said. I’m going to try to get another hard session in and then tomorrow morning try to push it again and the same thing tomorrow evening and just continue to keep on measuring it.”

Bryant said he needed to break up lingering scar tissue in his ankle through movement and therapy.

“I’m not jumping through the gym by any means,” Bryant said, “but I don’t need to be able to do that in order to be a great player.”