The Hornets really fell apart in the fourth quarter against the Warriors on Wednesday, as they went into the final period up 10 points before being outscored 38-21 over the final 12 minutes.
Chris Paul led the way with 24 points and 13 assists. David West and Marco Belinelli each had 16 points, and Trevor Ariza added 15 points and 10 rebounds. While Paul had a nice game against the Lakers, scoring 20 points with seven assists, West and Ariza combined for just 12 points. Those two have to play better for the Hornets to have a shot at winning tonight.
New Orleans hasn't had much luck at the Staples Center or against the Lakers for that matter. The Hornets have lost three straight at Los Angeles and seven of the last nine games overall.
The Lakers have done a much better job moving the ball around lately, and it has started with Kobe Bryant taking fewer shots and getting the rest of the team involved. Bryant scored 24 points on nine of 17 shooting against the Suns, and the Lakers are 19-2 when Bryant takes fewer than 20 shots.
Andrew Bynum added 14 points, but Pau Gasol had just six points on three of 10 shooting and is averaging just 13.6 points over his last five games. Gasol had just 11 points against the Hornets but did have 12 rebounds and five assists.
The Lakers bench got a couple of nice performances against the Suns,...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
