Lose focus, lose Lamar, lose game...

Los Angeles, CA

Last night at Staples center the Lakers were supposed to breeze by the New Orleans Hornets as they've previously done twice this year. The Lakers were supposed to extend to both their home and overall win streaks. They were to send a message to the other big threat teams. In a struggle from the opening tip, none of that turned out right. Chris Paul had a typical CP3 excellent game, scoring 32 points with 15 assists. Tyson Chandler in his first game back from a one game suspension for last Friday nights altercation with Portland's Joel Pryzbilla, scored 12 to go with 8 rebounds. The real difference maker on the night though, was David West. Scoring 15 of his game high 40 points in the fourth quarter to close out the game. 

Los Angeles seemed slow from the start. Trailing early and looking continually one step behind the efficient New Orleans penetration offense, you had a sense the game would be close in the end. Unfortunately for the Lakers, forward Lamar Odom went down towards the end of the second quarter with a hyperextended right knee. Odom was playing a solid game, 12 points, 3 boards, in just 13 minutes before the injury. Lamar is set to have an MRI today, and if the results are conclusive to a hyperextension could miss 2-4 weeks with no other set backs. The Lakers are already playing without guard Jordan Farmar (knee) and forward Luke Walton (foot). 

Kobe Bryant finished the game with a team high 39 to go along with 7 assists and 3 rebounds. In the 3rd quarter it was all Kobe, all the time, scoring 20 points with back-to back-to back triples at one point. Bryant was held to only two points, going 1 for 6 in the final period. "After the third quarter, they pretty much weren't going to let me get off a shot," said Bryant, "Shots didn't go for us." Kobe is averaging 35.0 points in his last three games. With Lamar gone for the game and no inside presence accounted for by Bynum or Gasol, the Lakers had a hard time keeping up with New Orleans. Gasol's ten point third quarter was all he had in the tank apparently. He is averaging over 17 points a contest but shot poorly last night. Andrew Bynum was also pretty much ineffective scoring only 7 in 34 minutes, limited again by foul trouble. The two teams combined to go to the line 59 times on the night, 37 to 22 in favor of the Hornets. The absence of a big mans presence in the lane was felt by Los Angeles. CP3 was able to dribble penetrate and kick, about whenever he felt like, and David West was left alone for much of the night. The Lakers hadn't allowed a single opponent to score more than 23 in their last seven games. 

The Lakers now travel North to face off with the Golden State Warriors (10-26). Golden State is returning home after a disappointing road trip. The Warriors lost all three games, including a 119-114 defeat to the Utah Jazz on Monday. Leading scorer Stephen Jackson of Golden State, strained his right hamstring in the loss to the Jazz and is expected to miss two weeks. The Warriors did just get back another key player in Corey Maggette. He returned to form with 23 and five in his first game back since a Dec. 6th hamstring injury of his own.

"I'm looking at the bigger picture, and it's weird for us because when somebody comes back, somebody else goes out. We got Corey back, and then Stephen went down. It's tough," said Jamal Crawford.

Crawford, the warriors guard, is averaging 25 points in his last three games against the Lakers. The Warriors hope to get their third straight home victory.