Warriors at Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are trying to figure out how to get Kobe Bryant enough rest to get him through the regular season. The Golden State Warriors, who visit the Lakers on Tuesday, have little problem finding rest for their starters thanks to some big leads down the stretch. The Warriors have won 18 of their last 19 games, and the starters should be rested for Tuesday after sitting out the fourth quarter of Monday’s 128-108 win over the Sacramento Kings.
That same Kings team beat Los Angeles on Sunday as Bryant went 8-of-30 from the field and committed nine turnovers. “You know him,” Lakers coach Byron Scott told reporters of Bryant. “It's real difficult. He's such a competitor. He wants to go out there and play every minute that he can. The mind is willing, but sometimes the body is not.” The Warriors got one of their bigger bodies back Monday as David Lee returned from a 21-game absence and played 16 minutes off the bench.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (Golden State), TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (23-3): Golden State has won two in a row since its franchise-record 16-game streak came to an end last week and continues to thrive on both ends of the floor. The Warriors limited the King to 47.4 percent from the floor Monday and have yet to allow an opponent to shoot 50 percent or better from the floor this season. Klay Thompson led the way with 25 points – the ninth time in 10 games he has reach 20 – and Golden State is working Lee, who averaged 18.2 points last season, into the rotation off the bench while monitoring his minutes.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (8-19): Los Angeles has dropped three in a row with Bryant shooting 26.8 percent from the field in that span. "We'll formulate a plan that suits him so when he is on the court he can go out and play at full strength instead of trying to will his way through these games," Scott told reporters. "He's such a competitor that he tries to will his way through it no matter how his body feels. I want him to get to the point where his body feels a lot better than it does right now." Bryant scored 44 points at home against Golden State on Nov. 16 but the Lakers were blown out 136-115 in that meeting.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Warriors have taken the last four in the series by an average of 20 points.
2. Lakers F Ed Davis is 12-of-15 from the field in the last two games.
3. Golden State G Stephen Curry is averaging 30.5 points and 12.5 assists in the two meeting with Los Angeles this season.