The Los Angeles Lakers may be without their star as they take on the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. According to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, G Kobe Bryant is ailing from the bacterial infection know as gastroenteritis:

Kobe Bryant missed L.A.'s shootaround with gastroenteritis. We'll have an update 90 minutes before the game.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) May 10, 2012

Bryant currently leads the NBA Playoffs with 31.2 points per game and 156 points overall. In Tuesday's 102-99 Nuggets win, Bryant scored an impressive 43 points with 5 threes and a 10 for 11 night on free throws.

During the regular season, Bryant averaged 27.9 points per game with 4.6 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. The Lakers currently lead the Nuggets 3-2, but without Bryant, the momentum could potentially shift into the Nuggets' favor.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more in-depth coverage, head over to Nuggets blog Denver Stiffs. And for updates from around the league, check out SB Nation's NBA news hub.