GAME: L.A. Lakers Lakers (31-16) at Atlanta Hawks (21-24)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, February 06 - 7:00 PM EST
SPREAD: Atlanta 4 TOTAL: 203
Source: Covers.com
Pau Gasol didn't take long to fit in with his new team. He may have to do much more for them very quickly.
With Kobe Bryant nursing a dislocated pinky, Gasol looks to build off his successful debut with the Los Angeles Lakers as they visit the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night in the fifth of a season-high nine-game road trip.
In his first game with Los Angeles (30-16) on Tuesday, Gasol scored 24 points and added 12 rebounds to lead the Lakers to a 105-90 win over New Jersey . Gasol was acquired from Memphis on Friday in a deal that sent former top overall pick Kwame Brown, rookie Javaris Crittenton and two future first-round draft picks to the Grizzlies.
The Lakers expect Gasol to be a presence in the paint with Andrew Bynum expected to be sidelined at least another six weeks with a knee injury, and as a secondary scoring option with Bryant. Gasol was second on Memphis in scoring with 18.9 points and led them with 8.8 rebounds per game.
"He played extremely well," Bryant said of his new teammate. "Defenses are used to playing a certain way. You know, screen-and-roll, where I come off the pick, they're used to playing a certain way.
"Now they have to evaluate how they play that. It's going to be a little bit more for defenses to kind of try to come up with a scheme."
Los Angeles , which improved to 3-1 on the trip, may need Gasol to step up after the finger injury limited Bryant to a season-low six points. Bryant, who still played 40 minutes, was 3-of-13 from the floor in his first single-digit scoring game since tallying eight against Denver on Jan. 6, 2007.
It was his fewest points since being held to two in six minutes after spraining his ankle against Cleveland on Jan. 13, 2005.
"It feels pretty sore," Bryant, who also had seven turnovers, told the Lakers' official Web site. "I just don't feel like I have four fingers. It just don't feel it, it feels like its not there. I went for a steal and my finger got caught on Jason's (Kidd) arm and I just kept going one way and my finger the other. During the game it felt like my finger wasn't there."
Bryant is second in the league in scoring with 28.0 points per game, and his status for this game is not immediately known. He's averaging 30.2 points in six career starts in Atlanta .
The Hawks (20-24) will be trying for their first three-game winning streak since a four-game run from Dec. 15-26. Atlanta beat Philadelphia 96-91 on Monday as Josh Childress scored 21 points and Josh Smith added 19, nine assists and nine blocks.
The Hawks trailed 32-14 at the end of the first quarter and by six at halftime. Smith had six blocks in the second quarter.
"He changed the whole game," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "It's a shame that we put that kind of pressure on him. ... We just have to lock in and take the individual challenge to guard the ball. That's what we weren't doing, and he was covering up a lot of our mistakes."
Smith is having the best season of his four-year career, averaging 18.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
Atlanta has lost two straight to the Lakers and four of the last six at Philips Arena.
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