Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers return home Tuesday night to Staples Center, hosting the Atlanta Hawks. The Lakers last played a home game on January 31, and have played just one home game in the last 20 days. Here are the relevant details of Tuesday's NBA matchup:
Records: Lakers (16-12, tied for fifth in the Western Conference); Atlanta (18-10, fourth in the Eastern Conference)
Location: Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, the first sporting event at the venue since February 2
Time: 7:30 p.m. PST
TV: Prime Ticket, with Bill Macdonald and Stu Lantz on the call.
Offensive Efficiency: Atlanta, 104.0 points per 100 possessions (12th in NBA); Lakers, 103.1 (15th)
Defensive Efficiency: Atlanta, 99.8 (seventh); Lakers, 101.0 (11th)
Home vs. Road: The Lakers are 11-2 at home this season; Atlanta is 9-5 on the road. The Lakers have beaten the Hawks five straight times in Los Angeles.
Tuesday Champions: The Lakers are 4-0 on Tuesday's this season, with three of the four wins by at least 16 points. All four games have been at home - wins against the Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, and Charlotte Bobcats - and the Lakers have outscored their opponents 102-82, on average.
JJ 10K: Atlanta shooting guard Joe Johnson was named an All-Star for the sixth consecutive season, the longest streak by a Hawks player since Dominique Wilkins made nine straight All-Star games from 1986 to 1994. Johnson needs 13 points to score 10,000 in his Atlanta career.
For more Lakers news and information, be sure to read Silver Screen and Roll.