Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers begin their quest for a fourth straight NBA Finals berth, and a third straight NBA championship, on Sunday against Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets. The two teams begin their first-round playoff series today at 12:30 p.m. at Staples Center, in a nationally televised game on ABC. The Lakers beat the Hornets all four times this season, by an average of over 10 points per game.
Here is a look at today's probable starting lineups for Game 1:
Hornets
- Point Guard: Chris Paul
- Shooting Guard: Marco Belinelli
- Small Forward: Trevor Ariza
- Power Forward: Carl Landry
- Center: Emeka Okafor
Lakers
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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
For more news on this first-round matchup, be sure to stay tuned to this story stream at SB Nation Los Angeles. For more NBA playoff coverage, check out SB Nation's playoff bracket and schedule. For more news and information on the Lakers, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Silver Screen and Roll.