ATLANTA — Just when the Lakers were finally looking like the team everyone expected them to be, Kobe Bryant crumpled to the court.

Now, that playoff push in Los Angeles looks a lot more tenuous.

Bryant went down with a severely sprained left ankle after missing a game-tying shot in the closing seconds of a 96-92 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

While X-rays were negative, the Lakers said their star was out indefinitely. Bryant conceded it was the worst ankle sprain of his 16-year career but wouldn’t speculate on how long he might be out.

“I’ll just do what I have to do,” the 34-year-old said.

With 16 games left in the regular season, Los Angeles holds a half-game lead over Utah for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The loss in Atlanta snapped a four-game winning streak.