Records: Lakers 34-31 (8th in the West), Hawks 34-29 (7th in the East)
Offensive ratings: Lakers 105.8 (8th in the NBA), Hawks 102.1 (16th in the NBA)
Defensive ratings: Lakers 103.6 (18th in the NBA), Hawks 101.4 (10th in the NBA)
Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Earl Clark, Dwight Howard
Hawks: Jeff Teague, DeShawn Stevenson, Josh Smith, Anthony Tolliver, Al Horford
Injuries: Lakers: Pau Gasol (out), Jordan Hill (out for the season); Hawks: Jeff Teague (questionable), Lou Williams (out for the season), Zaza Pachulia (out)

Hawks Blogs: Give a visit to Hawks Hoop and Peach Tree Hoops for all your news and analysis.

Keys to game: Since these two teams played 5 games ago, the Lakers have gone 4-1 (including 4 wins in a row) while the Hawks have gone 1-4 (including 3 losses in a row; 6 losses in their last 7 games). In that stretch, the Lakers have played mostly lottery bound teams, had some close scares, but then played quite professionally the past two wins over the Bulls and Magic. The Hawks, meanwhile, have played mostly highly regarded playoff teams and had a few close games but have mostly suffered double digit defeats.

Based solely off recent events, the Lakers should be slightly favored even though the game is in Atlanta. And while both teams played last night, the Hawks sat their starters for most of the 4th quarter against the streaking Heat and the Lakers’ starters — who did play heavy minutes — got plenty of in game stoppages due to Dwight Howard’s parade to the free throw line. Basically, fatigue shouldn’t be a problem though Atlanta may be without Jeff Teague who rolled his ankle against the Heat and is questionable (updates to come once we know for sure).

Because these two teams just played, there’s really not much new to add about what the Lakers need to do to win this game. The last contest saw Dwight Howard control the paint, Kobe work in isolation against Josh Smith to good success, and Steve Nash play a very good second half. On the Hawks side, they rode good shooting nights from Smith and Horford to keep the game within striking distance while exploiting the threat of Kyle Korver coming off screens to create good looks in the half court. With a hot shooting Devin Harris sprinkled into the 2nd half, the last game was pretty close with a Kobe dunk, another finish in the lane, and a defensive stop being the difference.

Tonight, then, the Lakers focus should be going back to the things that worked in the last game while paying extra attention to the things that Atlanta did to hurt them. Looking for Dwight against their big man rotation would be a good place to start with Dwight having physical advantages over the various defenders he’s likely to see. Looking for Kobe against Smith is also an option to explore, though after dealing with Deng and Afflalo to mixed results, another long and active defender may again slow him down. In any event, the Lakers have advantages on offense, especially when using the P&R, and should look to exploit those until the Hawks prove they can stop that play and the derivative options off it.

Defensively, the Lakers must do a better job guarding all the screen actions the Hawks like to run. I’ve mentioned the Korver pin down action already, but the Hawks also love a big to big screen between Smith and Horford where big Al sets a screen at the elbow, slips to the rim hard with Smith delivering a lob for an easy finish. The Lakers must recognize this play as it develops and sit back in the paint to not allow Horford to release cleanly. Make Smith a shooter and not a passer and take your chances with a below average jumpshooter firing away from 16 feet.

Another thing to watch for will be substitution patterns, especially on the Hawks’ side. In the last game, head coach Larry Drew played long stretches with ineffective offensive players like Pachulia and Johan Petro at Center with DeShawn Stevenson starting at SG. Lineups with any combination of those three were awful offensively (surprise!) and allowed the Lakers to create the separation the Hawks battled back against all game. Tonight Pachulia isn’t expected to play and in his place Anthony Tolliver — a floor spacing PF — could start instead. This should help the Hawks offensively, but puts stress on their defense with Horford defending Dwight on an island. If Horford can’t defend without fouling, we’re likely to see Petro again and that should allow Dwight more defensive freedom as a roamer and helper on all those screen sets the Hawks like to run.

A win tonight would not only equal the Lakers longest streak of the year (5 games), it would ensure a winning road trip before the team visits the Pacers on Friday. It would also prove to be another quality win under less than ideal circumstances (2nd night of a back to back) against a team who will surely be seeking revenge for the close loss 10 days ago. Things are finally clicking for this team, let’s see if they can keep it going.

UPDATE: Mike Trudell of Lakers.com is reporting that Jeff Teague has been ruled out tonight. And, if that wasn’t enough, Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times is reporting that Josh Smith has also been ruled out due to a knee issue. Both players being out will severely test the Hawks’ depth and greatly improves the Lakers chances at getting a win tonight.

I’d guess that Devin Harris will start in Teague’s place and that Kyle Korver will start in place of Smith. Both are quality replacements and as mentioned above, were key fixtures in the last game these two teams faced off. Both are very good offensive options with Harris being a solid defender who offers a bit more size than Teague. That said, two bench players moving up to the starting group with Pachulia also out will mean heavy minutes for the starters and some key minutes going to lesser talented players when the Hawks are forced to play their reserves.

Where you can watch: 4:30pm start time on TWC Sportsnet. Also listen on ESPN Radio 710AM.

Records: Lakers 33-31 (9th in the West), Magic 18-46 (14th in the East)
Offensive ratings: Lakers 105.7 (8th in the NBA), Magic 99.7 (T 24th in the NBA)
Defensive ratings: Lakers 103.7 (18th in the NBA), Magic 106.5 (26th in the NBA)
Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Earl Clark, Dwight Howard
Magic: Jameer Nelson, Arron Afflalo, Tobias Harris, Maurice Harkless, Nikola Vucevic
Injuries: Lakers: Pau Gasol (out), Jordan Hill (out for the season); Magic: Glen Davis (out), Hedo Turkoglu (suspended)

The Lakers Coming in: The Lakers are 8-2 in their last 10 but are still fighting hard to make the playoffs. Their position as the 8th seed lasted all of one day with the Jazz (and their tiebreaker) reclaiming the spot after a win over the Pistons last night. This only reinforces the reality that for the Lakers, every game matters a great deal. Yes, they’re playing better and racking up the wins, but in order to get to the post season they must continue their winning ways. This means continuing to refine their schemes and finding a way to bring the needed effort and focus each night.

Sunday’s win over the Bulls was the perfect template for this team moving forward — the Lakers came out ready to compete, were sharp on defense, and controlled the tempo offensively with solid execution even when the Bulls clamped down on that end. Every game will require an adherence to that model or they can just as easily find themselves in the type of game they had against the Raptors and the Hornets. It should be noted that even if the Lakers do play well, sometimes they’ll find themselves in that type of game anyway simply because other teams get up to play the Lakers and often bring their best effort. But by finding a way to match or exceed that energy is what this team needs moving forward.

The Magic Coming in: Orlando has had the type of season many would have predicted for them after trading their franchise anchor last summer. They have the 2nd worst record in the league and have seen enormous dips in production on both sides of the ball. Their efficiency differentials are a minus-7 and that pretty much tells you the quality of their team this season.

That said, in trading Howard the Magic also did a very good job of netting the types of players who can develop into very good players. Nikola Vucevic is a nice big man prospect who has an emerging offensive game and very good instincts on the glass. Mo Harkless is a developing combo forward who can do a little bit of everything on the floor. Add to them E’Twaun Moore and Andrew Nicholson and there’s a nice crop of in house talent that can hopefully sprout into every game contributors. Besides trading Howard for prospects and draft picks, the Magic also traded J.J. Redick at the deadline and snatched up another fine young player in Tobias Harris to go along with veteran PG Beno Udrih. And when you add Udrih to Jameer Nelson, Afflalo, and Al Harrington, that’s a nice mix of veterans to go with their young players.

What’s resulted is a professional team that plays hard even if the wins are scarce. Head coach Jaque Vaughn comes from the Popovich tree of coaching that emphasizes process as much as results and we’re seeing that in Orlando. Down the line with some good development of current youngsters and some lottery luck, the Magic can be a very good team again. This season, despite the results, is a step in the right direction.

Magic Blogs: Magic Basketball and Orlando Pinstriped Post are two excellent sites. Check both out for all your Magic news and analysis.

Keys to game: This is Dwight’s first game back to Orlando since the trade and with his return there will be a palpable buzz in the building. Dwight handled his exit about as poorly as a player could have left a team and the negativity spawned from his departure will be on full display tonight. Fans will boo him lustily in introductions and every time he has the ball. He is now public enemy number one in that city.

For the Lakers, then, meeting that level of energy is important and maybe more so than executing well. Solid picks and rotating well are always important of course, but so is making the extra effort on every single play. The Magic are likely to be flying all over the court in this game and matching what they bring to the floor can mean the difference between winning and losing this game.

From an execution standpoint, the Lakers must simply play the game they’ve been playing for weeks. Kobe will have another tough match up with Afflalo guarding him, but even the former Nugget can be beaten with solid screening and quick decisive moves from #24. Let Kobe operate in the P&R, get him moving into the post and off picks for quick jumpers and he should be okay. As should Nash and Dwight if they continue to work well in the P&R. Nelson isn’t the best defensive guard and he doesn’t offer the type of size or length that can bother Nash in pressure situations. If Dwight can set good screens for Nash, it should set him free to shoot his mid-range jumper which should then open up passing chances to Dwight and shooters on the wing to get good shots.

Defensively the Lakers must concern themselves with tempo and making smart choices in the half court. The Magic aren’t a very good offensive team when slowed down, but they have enough athletes on the win to push the pace even if that’s not their typical style of play. Afflalo, Harris, Moore, and Harckless can all get up and down the floor when they want to and with Nelson and Udrih manning the point, there’s enough experience and savvy to utilize those athletes when they do get out in the open court.

In the half court, expect a heavy diet of P&R’s from both Nelson and Udrih. Both have the ability to hit jumpers from deep and the mid-range and that necessitates fighting over screens well and having the hedge man play high enough to contest that shot. That said, either player can also get into the lane to create for others so the back line help behind Howard must be ready to help on the dive man while still recovering out to shooters planted around the arc. Afflalo and Al Harrington are both capable shooters and if they start to knock down the three ball this game will remain close.

As for other variables, look out for Vucevic on the offensive glass when Howard is helping away from him. The big man averages over 3 offensive rebounds a game and has good instincts when chasing down loose balls. He must be bodied up and forced to go over the top of a wing (potentially fouling in the process) to get that board. Also look out for the hack-a-Dwight strategy in this game. When the Magic beat the Lakers in L.A., Coach Vaughn used the tactic down the stretch and it completely threw off the Lakers’ offensive attack and allowed Orlando to seize the game. If this contest is close down the stretch, expect to see Dwight at the line with a cascade of boos raining down on him while he tries to overcome the weakest part of his game.

If the Lakers are to avoid that situation, they must do what’s needed early and carry it over through the rest of the game. Even with a tough contest tomorrow night, the Lakers must leave it all on the floor tonight to get this much needed win.

Where you can watch: 4:00pm start time on TWC Sportsnet. Also listen on ESPN Radio 710AM.

Records: Lakers 32-31 (9th in the West), Bulls 35-27 (5th in the East)
Offensive ratings: Lakers 105.8 (8th in the NBA), Bulls 99.8 (24th in the NBA)
Defensive ratings: Lakers 103.9 (18th in the NBA), Bulls 98.8 (4th in the NBA)
Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Earl Clark, Dwight Howard
Bulls: Nate Robinson, Marco Belinelli, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah
Injuries: Lakers: Pau Gasol (out), Jordan Hill (out for the season); Bulls: Derrick Rose (out), Taj Gibson (doubtful), Rip Hamilton (questionable), Kirk Hinrich (questionable)

The Lakers Coming in: The Lakers have finally moved above the .500 mark. And while they’re tied with the Jazz from a record standpoint, they remain in the 9th spot due to tie breakers (the Jazz have already won the season series). That said, the Lakers continue to gain ground on the teams in front of them as the Warriors and Jazz are struggling some (especially the Jazz) and the Rockets are still adjusting to the trade that sent away two key players from their power forward rotation.

That said, it’s best to repeat this again: even though the scoreboard watching will continue in earnest, the Lakers must still be concerned with what they can control — their own play. In the last two games the Lakers have found themselves down big to lottery bound teams and needing huge performances from Kobe (and Dwight and Nash) to make improbable comebacks to win games. These wins have made for exciting viewing but isn’t a formula for long term success. The Lakers must find ways to play better earlier in the games and bring a consistency to their performance if they hope to not just make the playoffs but to be dangerous once there.

Because even though this team is clearly developing a belief in itself and individual players are showing what they’re capable of — especially Dwight who is improving every game — they must find ways to be less reliant on the brilliance of these guys and instead find success from more of a team standpoint. Of course there will be nights where the Lakers need their stars to carry them, but that can’t be an every game theme. This group must find a way to start defending better as a group while also developing a workable attack on offense that isn’t so reliant on Kobe going nova.

The Bulls Coming in: While the big question surrounding the Bulls is when (if?) Derrick Rose will be back this season, they continue to play well enough to win games. They’re 3-2 in their last 5 games and just came off a nail biter against the Jazz where a last second three pointer by Marco Belinelli won the game.

This team continues to be a defensive monster, boasting the 4th most efficient defense in the league with Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Taj Gibson, and Jimmy Butler representing strong wing and interior defensive options for defensive mastermind Tom Thibodeau to deploy. So, even though they also have average to below average defenders in their lineup (Boozer, Belinelli, Nate Robinson), the combination of scheme and defensive anchors in the aforementioned players means this team continues to get it done on that end of the floor.

Where the Bulls are struggling, however, is on offense. Without Rose to create good looks, the Bulls have become more reliant on players who should be complimentary talents rather than number one options. And while Boozer and Deng can be go to players on any given possession, they’re being asked to carry a tremendous load on O and sometimes they’re simply not good enough to do so.

So the Bulls end up grinding out a lot of games and while that’s a strategy that’s worked this season, they are essentially performing at their ceiling as currently constructed and with Rose not yet ready to rejoin the lineup. Their disciplined and gritty style keeps them in nearly every game and their best players ability to play heavy minutes mean that they get favorable match ups against team’s second units, but the fact is that that they’re not likely to go far in the playoffs playing this way. Regardless of how hard they fight — and they do fight hard.

Bulls Blogs: Both Blog-A-Bull and By The Horns are great sites that offer strong analysis on the Bulls. Give both a read.

Keys to game: The Bulls are a bit banged up right now and a lot of how this game goes will depend on who is available to them tomorrow. If none of the injured Bulls suit up, they’re likely to only play 8 players and that will test their stamina in the first game of their road trip after a tough contest on Friday. Not to mention that at least one player who may not go — Kirk Hinrich — had a fantastic game the last time these two teams met and was a big reason the Bulls won that contest.

Disregarding the injuries, though, this game will simply be a battle of strength on strength to see whose top unit can come out on top. The Lakers boast one of the better offensive attacks in the league while the Bulls have a top tier defense. Whichever team can best play to their strengths while getting enough on the other side of the ball will likely win this game.

For the Lakers, they’re going to have to find ways to score against a defense that is specifically designed to slow down the  types of actions they run. The Bulls love to flood the strong side box with an extra defender and that type of scheme will cause problems for an iso heavy attack like the Lakers have run for Kobe in recent weeks. Beyond dealing with the 2nd defender, Kobe will also have to deal with Deng and Jimmy Butler as a primary defender and both offer length and lateral quickness to slow him down all over the floor. Kobe’s been brilliant lately, but he’s going to have to do it against some very good defense in this game.

Beyond the Bulls ability to slow a perimeter threat like Kobe, they also have Joakim Noah operating in the middle of their D and creating havoc when defending the pick and roll. Noah is one of (if not) the best hedge and recover big men in the game and his ability to slow down the ball handler and still get back to the paint to bother a rolling big man and/or rebound is key to the Bulls’ scheme. Nash and Howard will have a difficult time cracking his presence in this game, but to do so they’ll need to be precise and make quick, smart decisions with how they move and pass within this action. Nash’s ability to make the right pass/shot read will be one of the more important factors in this game, especially with Kobe having to deal with the level of defender he’s going to face.

Defensively the Lakers aren’t facing the strongest offense but this team does have some weapons to account for. Look for Robinson to really attack Nash in isolation and out of the P&R to try and get into the lane where he can get off good shots for himself or hit a teammate for an open shot. Robinson is no Rose, but he offers a similar skill set in that he’s quick and explosive with his movements and is not bashful when trying to create off the dribble. The Lakers’ help must be ready to deal with Robinson trying to get into the paint and when Howard steps up to try and contain him, the back side rotations must be sharp to make sure that Booze and Noah don’t feast at the rim with easy baskets.

Deng and Boozer must also be respected when attacking in isolation and their defenders must be ready for their pet moves. Boozer loves to work from the elbow area and from the left block where he’ll use his face up and turnaround jumper to get baskets. His man must be ready to contest his shot and would do well to make Boozer put the ball on the ground or become a passer rather just a rhythm scorer off that jumper. As for Deng, he too will attack with his jumper but also has a nice off the dribble game that must be respected. As mentioned earlier he’s taking on a bigger load on offense and with that responsibility is more wiling to attack to score or to get to the foul line. He has range out to the three point line, but his man would be wise to make him prove he can hit that shot before running at him hard and giving up a driving lane that can expose the Lakers’ help schemes.

The Bulls aren’t the Raptors or the Hornets. They’re a team that will continue to grind away and will not get too up or down nor tighten up if the Lakers make a big push at any point in this game. My point is that the Lakers can’t simply make one good push in this game and expect it to be enough to win. The Bulls will be aggressive on both ends and will make the Lakers work on every single possession for the full contest. If the Lakers aren’t ready for that type of fight, they will feel the repercussions and not be happy when the final buzzer sounds.

Where you can watch: 12:30pm start time on ABC. Also listen on ESPN Radio 710AM.

Records: Lakers 31-31 (9th in the West), Raptors 24-38 (9th in the East)
Offensive ratings: Lakers 105.7 (8th in the NBA), Raptors 103.3 (T 11th in the NBA)
Defensive ratings: Lakers 103.9 (18th in the NBA), Raptors 104.4 (T 22nd in the NBA)
Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Earl Clark, Dwight Howard
Raptors: Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, Andrea Bargnani, Jonas Valanciunas
Injuries: Lakers: Pau Gasol (out), Jordan Hill (out for the season); Raptors: Linas Kleiza (out), Mickael Pietrus (out)

Raptors Blogs: Check out Raptors Republic for good analysis and news updates on this team. You can also check out their game preview here.

Keys to game: The story of the night is that the Lakers have the chance to go over the .500 mark for the first time since they were 6-5, a span of 108 calendar days. (As an aside, that was also D’Antoni’s 1st game on the Lakers’ bench.) The motivation, then, to get this win should be high. The Lakers have been playing well — especially in games that are close late — and it’s led to a nice string of wins. If they can start to bring more of that late game focus and execution to earlier parts of the contest, a streak of W’s could be on the horizon. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; we all remember the start of the Hornets game.

And speaking of the Hornets, the Raptors actually have a very similar statistical profile to the team from New Orleans. Toronto is ranked in the top 15 off Offensive Efficiency and are in the bottom third of the league in Defensive Efficiency. This profile is the type of team that can hurt the Lakers, should they lack focus or not be ready to execute from the outset. The Raptors have the weapons to keep up on offense (especially against an up and down Laker D) and the fact that they’re record is poor doesn’t matter as much when playing between the lines.

Furthermore, the Raptors are a different (and better) team than the one that actually beat the Lakers on that matinee game earlier this year. No, they don’t have Jose Calderon (who absolutely torched the Lakers) or Ed Davis (who was very good too), but they are healthier (Bargnani and Valanciunas didn’t play in that game) have upgraded their wing athleticism by acquiring Rudy Gay. Gay is a player who has given the Lakers some trouble over his career and, now that he’s with the Raptors, he’s being used at both Forward spots in order to maximize his versatility and to stretch out team’s defenses to open up the middle for some of the Raptors other attack players.

All of this combines to make the Raptors somewhat of a dangerous team, even if on the face of the match up they wouldn’t appear to be.

In order to win this game, then, look for the Lakers to try and work the match ups in their advantage and find ways to attack the Raptors defense with quick hitting actions that get them inside. The Kobe/Dwight P&R, as it did against the Hornets, can pay real dividends against this team — especially if they’re able to draw Valanciunas away from the rim and get Kobe attacking him in space. The young Center has good feet and can do a good job of bottling up penetration, but he also averages 5 fouls per 36 minutes and doesn’t often get the benefit of the whistle. If Kobe can occupy him with his dribble, Dwight may get some good chances to get the ball diving to the rim against a back side defense that will prominently feature the rotations of Andre Bargnani.

Another way to take advantage of that back side help is to send cutters from the weak side when Kobe is working the opposite side post and for the team’s wings to hit some of the open three pointers they’re sure to get. This makes Earl Clark, Jamison, and MWP pretty important players tonight as they’re the guys who won’t be the focus of the defense with Kobe, Dwight, and Nash are involved in strong side actions. If Clark and Jamison can find ways to sneak into the paint on the back side and all three can hit enough jumpers, the Lakers offense should be able to create the cushion they need to win this game.

Defensively the Lakers’ success will almost totally rely on their ability to stop the Raptors in isolation. Since the trade that sent Calderon away and brought Rudy Gay in, the Raptors have become more isolation dependent and will use that type of action to get their points. Gay, DeRozan, Bargnani, and Lowry all have the ability to score in one on one situations and they’ll look to attack their man — especially if that player isn’t a good defender. So, look for Lowry to attack Nash and for whoever Jamison is guarding to try and be extra assertive tonight. Also look for Rudy Gay and DeRozan to work down on the block to try and get baskets from inside 15 feet.

This style of play puts a greater emphasis on Dwight’s ability to step up and rotate into the paint to slow down these moves and for the guys behind him to rotate over and help clean up the glass. Amir Johnson will feast on the offensive glass if no one is there to put a body on him, so just as Dwight will need to have his teammates’ back, they’ll also need to have his. If Dwight can come anywhere close to being the force he was in the 4th quarter of the Hornets’ game, the Lakers should be in good shape tonight.

This isn’t to say the P&R won’t be a threat as Lowry will still try and create in this action too. But he’s very fond of turning the corner and being aggressive in looking for his own shot rather than playing with the type of tempo that creates shots for others. Whenever he’s attacking, the defense should be thinking shot first and rotate to him, as their primary read, and then work hard to recover should a pass come. But, again, the key is slowing down their isolation attack — especially when they go small — and then go from there.

As stated earlier this is a game many will think is an automatic win. But a loss to this team earlier in the year and the unsteady start to the Hornets’ game should eliminate that line of thinking. The Lakers are clear favorites, but with that designation comes the need to back it up with a good start and sustained energy throughout.

Where you can watch: 7:30pm start time on TWC Sportsnet. Also listen on ESPN Radio 710AM.

Records: Lakers 30-31 (9th in the West), Hornets 21-40 (14th in the West)
Offensive ratings: Lakers 105.5 (8th in the NBA), Hornets 102.7 (13th in the NBA)
Defensive ratings: Lakers 103.9 (18th in the NBA), Hornets 106.9 (27th in the NBA)
Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Earl Clark, Dwight Howard
Hornets: Greivis Vasquez, Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Anthony Davis, Robin Lopez
Injuries: Lakers: Pau Gasol (out), Jordan Hill (out for the season), Metta World Peace (he says he’s playing); Hornets: Jason Smith (out for the season)

Hornets Blogs: Hornets 24/7 and At The Hive are two very good sites that you should check out.

Keys to game: Coming off a game last night and with key players nicked up (Kobe, Dwight, and Ron are all dealing with various ailments), this game is by no means a walk in the park. The Lakers are only 4-7 on the 2nd night of a back to back this year and have struggled in areas where fresh legs typically come into play — on defense and on the glass. So, even though the Hornets are not a very good team — even at home — it is not like the Lakers can simply lace up their shoes and expect to get a victory.

That’s especially the case with the Hornets having nearly their entire roster available and ready to go. Their starting lineup offers a variety of play makers and good finishers offensively (they are a top 15 offensive team after all) and those players will put stress on the Lakers’ scheme to defend well and for full possessions.

In the last contest, Greivis Vasquez really hurt the Lakers using a well paced individual attack that combined patience, savvy, and good finishing ability. Vasquez found cracks in the defense to get inside 10 feet where he used a variety of floaters and crafty finishes to score points and put the defense on its heels. With no one to really had Steve Nash on, expect Vasquez to be in attack mode again to try and exploit his match up.

Besides his own scoring, though, Vasquez was also great at setting up shots for others. He tallied 15 assists in the last game, with Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Robin Lopez, and several other Hornets all benefitting from his ability to create good looks out of isolation and P&R sets. It’s the latter action the Lakers will really have to worry about in this game as the Hornets offer a variety of options out of this set that can exploit their defense.

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