Kobe Bryant will play Thursday against the Pelicans despite dealing with shoulder soreness throughout the week, Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News reports.

Bryant will play Thursday against the Pelicans despite dealing with shoulder soreness throughout the week, Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News reports.

Analysis:

It appears Bryant feels confident enough in his ailing shoulder to give it a go on Thursday, after averaging 30.5 points per game in his past two starts. This will be Bryant's third consecutive game played, so the wear and tear could call for a slight limitation on minutes, but he'll look to stay hot from behind the three-point line regardless.