Of course, both teams have one thing in common: if they want to make the playoffs, they've got to win a lot of games down the stretch. That means both teams have something to fight for in this one.
The Lakers have won four of their last five games—as Kobe Bryant has turned into the team's distributor—with wins over the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Hornets and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Los Angeles also broke their road losing streak after beating Minnesota. They had lost eight in a row before that win, and are 6-16 on the road overall.
Detroit on the other hand have won just two of their past six games, and are waiting to find out whether or not they'll be with recently acquired Jose Calderon in this game depending on Visa issues.
Time: 1:00 p.m. EST
TV: NBA League Pass
Records: Los Angeles Lakers (21-26), Detroit Pistons (18-29)
Gambling Line: N/A
Injury Report: Dwight Howard, Probable (Shoulder), Jordan Hill, Out (Hip)
Key Storyline: The Grammy Road Trip
The Lakers are in the midst of their longest road trip of the season, as they usually are around this time of the year.
The so-called Grammy Road Trip comes along every year in early February thanks to the Grammy Awards parking themselves in Staples Center, sending the Lakers and Clippers packing for the better part of two weeks.
This is just the third of seven games on the road for the Lakers, with their opponents getting more daunting as they roll along.
They meet Detroit before traveling on to Brooklyn, Boston, and then get a bit of a break with Charlotte before playing Miami to finish things up.
It wouldn'...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
