Lakers at Hornets
THE STORY: The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t making it easy, but at least they are starting to win on the road. The Lakers won back-to-back road games for the first time since Jan 29 and Feb. 3 with a double-overtime victory in Memphis on Tuesday and will try for their first three-game road winning streak at the lowly New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday. The Hornets’ fortunes for this season were forever changed back in December, when a trade deal involving the Lakers and Chris Paul fell through.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, KCAL (Lakers), CST (Hornets)
ABOUT THE LAKERS (26-16): Los Angeles is reportedly searching high and low for a point guard to add at the trade deadline after the commissioner’s office squashed the deal that would have brought Paul to its side of the Staples Center in December. Relying almost exclusively on Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, the Lakers are still in third place in the West. Bryant, Bynum and Gasol combined for 85 points and 30 rebounds in the 116-111 victory over the Grizzlies on Tuesday. The Lakers have taken three straight overall by a total of 11 points.
ABOUT THE HORNETS (10-32): While New Orleans might not have been a playoff contender, at least they would have had a few more veteran pieces had that first three-team trade with the Rockets and Lakers been approved. Instead, the Hornets made the deal with the Clippers and have gotten exactly two games out of the prize of their haul, Eric Gordon. New Orleans squandered a perfect chance to get to 11 wins, dropping a 73-71 decision at home to the NBA-worst Charlotte Bobcats on Monday.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. A New Orleans team featuring Chris Paul and Carl Landry lost to the Lakers in six games in the first round of the playoffs last spring. Bryant averaged 22.5 points and Bynum put up 15.2 points and 10.3 rebounds.
2. The Lakers are 8-14 away from the Staples Center
3. Los Angeles point guard Derek Fisher went over 10,000 points in his career Tuesday.