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The Los Angeles Lakers look for their fifth straight win on Tuesday night as they host the top-seed San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center. This is the second of three late-season games against the Spurs in a 10-day span for the Lakers, who won 98-84 in San Antonio on April 11.
Kobe Bryant is expected to miss his sixth straight game with a sore left shin on Tuesday. The Lakers have beaten the Spurs three straight times, including the 30-rebound game by Western Conference Player of the week Andrew Bynum last week. These two teams play again on Friday night in San Antonio.
The Spurs have won three straight games since their loss to the Lakers, and San Antonio's 14 wins in their last 16 games has pushed them to the top spot in the Western Conference, a game ahead of Oklahoma City. The Lakers currently hold the No. 3 seed and the top spot in the Pacific Division, one game ahead of the Clippers with five games left to play.
The Lakers' magic number to clinch the Pacific Division - the combination of Lakers wins and Clippers losses - is four.
Tuesday night's 7:30 p.m. PDT game will be televised by TNT and Prime Ticket. For more Lakers news and notes, be sure to read Silver Screen and Roll.