Of course, there's no such thing as an easy win in the NBA. The Hornets are just 13-38 this season, but they were still good enough to take L.A. to overtime when they met earlier this month.
The Lakers eventually prevailed thanks to strong efforts from Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum. They'll need similar efforts on Saturday if they want to avoid their third loss in four games.
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
When: Saturday March 31, 3:30 PM EST
Watch: CST and FS West have the TV coverage, or you can watch the live stream on-line via NBA League Pass
Listen: Los Angeles—710 ESPN New Orleans—KMEZ 106.7 FM
Key Injuries:
Lakers
No significant injuries
Hornets
Chris Kaman (illness), day-to-day
Jarret Jack (ankle), day-to-day
Trevor Ariza (ankle), day-to-day
What They're Saying:
Much has been made about a potential Andrew Bynum-Mike Brown conflict, but Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated says that Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak isn't too worried.
Bynum has had a phenomenal season nonetheless, averaging a career-high 18.2 points and 12.2 rebounds through Wednesday, with a Player Efficiency Rating that ranks 12th in the league, up from 21st last season. Which begs the question of whether Bynum's three-pointer was really about three-pointers at all. Was he truly looking to expand his game, or was he testing his first-year coach?
"I don't think [Bynum was testing Brown]," Kupchak said. "I really think that he thought he could make it, because he made one the night before. Now he's come a long way this year, and his confidence level has soared. But sometimes you h...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers