The gist: With two days to catch their breath, the Rockets go to Hollywood and take on a Lakers squad gasping for air after a 99-90 loss to the Nuggets. Kobe Bryant is looking forward to shrugging off a forgettable night where he went 6/28 (21.4%).
Key matchup: Luis Scola vs Pau Gasol
The “other” cogs of the failed Chris Paul trade will go out to one-up each other. While their offense is at par from previous seasons, both players have yet to fully assert themselves on the boards, Scola grabbing a shade below six rebounds a game (5.8) and Gasol less than his usual double-digit norms (8.7).
X-factor: Kyle Lowry
Coming off 18 assists and that sensational block on Jannero Pargo, Lowry, like Bryant, is trying to put a bad shooting game behind him. Fronted by Derek Fisher and Steve Blake, Lowry should outperform both playmakers but to do so, he must not give up the ball too much. He went for a combined 10 turnovers in the past two games.
Code Red: Andrew Bynum has been a beast on the glass, grabbing an average of 14.5 rebounds in his two games since his reinstatement. If Jordan Hill and Samuel Dalembert do not plant their feet and establish position, they will be in for a long night giving the Lakers more possessions and second chance points.