By Steve Martin
Foxsportssouth.com
Feb. 3, 2010
End of the road trip tonight. One more time around to pack a chest of draws of clothes into one small rolling bag and a gym bag. The best is saved for last as the World Champion Lakers wait for their chance to get at the Bobcats. Charlotte has won 6 of the last 7 games between the two and 3 straight. 3 of the 6 wins have come in overtime. Kobe lights the Bobcats up like no other. In the last 9 games between the two, Kobe has averaged 34.1ppg. He has fouled out of two and been ejected from one game.
The Bobcats and the Lakers are two of the hottest teams since January. Charlotte is 12-5 while the Lakers are 12-6. The Lakers are cioming off a 7 game road trip to the East. It's often said that your first game home is an extension of the trip. The Bobcats need a little help tonight becasue they likely will be without Gerald Wallace. The Bobcats All-Star has a strained right hamstring and sat out yesterday's practice and today's game day shoot-around.
Good news, however, Stephen Jackson's right ankle is back to 100% after turning it in the second half of Monday's game with the Trailblazers. Jackson finished the game with 23. The Bobcats succeed in slowing the Lakers down somewhat. Last year Boris Diaw initiated the offense and drew Pau Gasol away from the basket. He led the way with 22 points in a Bobcats win at the Staples Center in 2009.
Watch how the Lakers defend Jackson. Orlando succeeded in slowing both Jack and Gerald Wallace on January 23 by putting a lot of defenders in their face. If the Lakers only have to concentrate on Jackson, then it will be important for both Boris Diaw and Raymond Felton to step up. The Bobcats will start either Stephen Graham or Flip Murray. Like most of the Laker's opponents, the Bobcats know that Kobe will get his points. The key is to make sure no one else goes off.
Catch the game in HD on Sports South, Channel 60 on Time Warner Cable's Charlotte system. Dish Network has the game on 449, with the HD feed on 9516. Direct TV shows the game on Channel 650 and HD appears on 650-1. Bobcats Live starts it all at 10:00 PM EST. Finish your day with us out in Los Angeles.
