NBA Preview: Charlotte Bobcats at Los Angeles Lakers
03/04/2011

Five-time NBA champion and four-time All-Star Game MVP Kobe Bryant will lead the Los Angeles Lakers into action tonight against the Charlotte Bobcats from the Staples Center .

The two-time defending champion Lakers have ripped off five straight wins and nine in the past 12, including Tuesday's 90-79 victory in Minnesota . Bryant scored 24 points and is 65 shy of Moses Malone for sixth on the NBA's all-time scoring list. He has moved passed the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon, Oscar Robertson, Dominique Wilkins and John Havlicek.

"Games like this, you want to control the tempo, play defense, let the defense win the game for you," said Lamar Odom, who had 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Andrew Bynum scored 14 points and Pau Gasol contributed 12 and a game-best 17 rebounds, as the Pacific Division-leading Lakers were able to hold on for the win despite shooting 37.5 ppg. Los Angeles did dominate the backboards to the tune of a 53-39 advantage and won its 14th straight game against the Wolves.

After hosting the Bobcats in Hollywood , the Lakers, who are 21-8 in the City of Angels and seeded third in the West, will hit the road for four tough games against San Antonio , Atlanta , Miami and Dallas .

Charlotte is still searching for a win on its four-game road trip and fell to 0-2 on the swing with Wednesday's 120-80 blowout loss in Denver . The Nuggets shot 60.8 percent from the floor and handed out a season-best 34 assists.

Matt Carroll had a season-high 19 points off the bench and D.J. Augustin netted 13 for the Bobcats, who have suffered losses in two straight and nine of their last 15 games. Shaun Livingston had 12 points and seven assists in defeat.

"We were just coming down, casting shots up, not executing," said Bobcats head coach Paul Silas. "That's a disappointment. There's nothing positive about this at all."

Silas is now 17-15 as head coach after the Bobcats went 9-19 over the season's first 28 game with Larry Brown at the helm. After scoring at least 30 points in back-to-back efforts, Pacers forward Stephen Jackson was held to seven against the Nuggets and was a reason for the team's 36.7 percent shooting.

Charlotte will also visit Portland and is 10-20 away from Time Warner Cable Arena this season.

The Bobcats defeated the Lakers, 109-89, on Feb. 14th in the first meeting of the season at Charlotte , as Gerald Henderson ended with 18 points off the bench. They have won eight of the last 10 matchups between the two clubs.

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