Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are looking for their fourth straight victory today against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder in a battle of first place teams on ABC. The two teams met in the first round of the NBA playoffs last year, but if they meet again this year, it might have to be in the conference finals. Here are the pertinent details of today's game:
Teams: Lakers (41-19) vs. Thunder (36-21)
Location: Oklahoma City Arena
Time: 11:30 a.m. PST
TV: ABC
Streaks: Lakers (won 3); Thunder (lost 2)
Home & Away: Lakers, 20-11 on the road; Thunder, 20-8 at home
Previous Meeting: The Lakers beat the Thunder 101-94 on January 17 at Staples Center
Welcome Aboard: Newcomer Kendrick Perkins won't play today, as he is still out with a left knee injury. However, fellow newcomers Nazr Mohammed and Nate Robinson are expected to make their Thunder debuts today. As Dexter Fishmore pointed out yesterday, Mohammed has averaged 19.5 points and 10 rebounds in his last two games against the Lakers. In fact, in his last four games against the Lakers, Mohammed has averaged 16.8 points and 9.5 rebounds, and he has gone 20-10 in each of his last two starts against L.A.
Probable Starting Lineups:
Lakers
- Point Guard: Derek Fisher
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Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant
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Small Forward: Ron Artest
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Power Forward: Pau Gasol
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Center: Andrew Bynum
Thunder
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Point Guard: Russell Westbrook
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Shooting Guard: Thabo Sefolosha
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Small Forward: Kevin Durant
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Power Forward: Nick Collison
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Center: Serge Ibaka
For more information on today's game, be sure to read Silver Screen and Roll.