Lakers at Hornets
Kobe Bryant is ailing once again but insists he will play when the Los
Angeles Lakers visit the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. Bryant is dealing
with a sore right knee but was able to score 19 points in 24 minutes
during Sunday's 112-96 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
The reduced minutes gives Bryant a chance at meeting his goal as he didn't play in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand. "He's still playing hard," Los Angeles coach Byron Scott said after Sunday's game. "Was one of those nights where his knee was a little sore, so I wanted to limit his minutes." Charlotte's last game also came against Memphis, and the 98-92 victory Saturday was only its second win in the last seven games. "We needed this one pretty bad," point guard Kemba Walker told reporters. "We just wanted to get back on track."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles), FSN Southeast (Charlotte)
ABOUT THE LAKERS (5-26): Rookie forward Larry Nance Jr. had his best game of the season against Memphis while posting his first double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Nance has played 20 or more minutes in nine of the last 11 games and has become more comfortable since moving into the starting lineup. "I like the way he has been developing," Bryant told reporters. "He's been working on his game quite a bit, working on his shot quite a bit. You saw it (Sunday); we trusted him. He was extremely active. I thought he looked strong."
ABOUT THE HORNETS (16-13): Charlotte knocked down 14-of-32 3-pointers and had a 30-6 edge in fast-break points while outclassing the Grizzlies. Shooting guard Nicolas Batum enjoyed a solid all-around game with 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists while Walker scored a game-high 22 points. Veteran power forward Marvin Williams is just 14-of-54 shooting over the last seven games and is listed as probable for Monday's game because of a neck injury.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bryant's best individual effort against Charlotte came when he scored 58 points in a triple-overtime loss Dec. 29, 2006.
2. Hornets C Al Jefferson had just two points on 1-of-8 shooting against Memphis in his return from a five-game suspension for violating the NBA's drug policies.
3. Los Angeles rookie PG D'Angelo Russell is 10-of-22 from 3-point range during the past four games.