Offense Versus Defense
Los Angeles,Ca – On one side, there is a player that can seemingly score at will in Kobe Bryant. On the other, the league’s top scorer in Dwyane Wade.
Both are coming off spectacular late-game shooting heroics on Friday night that led their respective teams to victories.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Lakers -10.5 point spread favorites for Tuesday’s game against the Heat. Current NBA Public Betting Information shows that 67% of more than 217 bets for this game have been placed on the Lakers -10.5.
But on Sunday night, one of the two superstars will come up short as Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers host Wade and the Miami Heat in the teams’ second meeting this season.
Los Angeles (29-6) goes for its third straight overall victory following a 121-119 win over Indiana on Friday that improved the Lakers to 19-2 at home this season.
Despite cold shooting to open the fourth quarter, Bryant scored the Lakers’ final 11 points, including the game-winning fadeaway jumper with three seconds left. Bryant had 36 points, a season-high 13 assists and seven rebounds.
"I just played the game and made (the Pacers) make decisions,” said Bryant, averaging 27.7 points and 6.7 assists as the Lakers have won three straight over Miami in Los Angeles. "In the fourth quarter, you just have to stay home a little more … but I had shots in the past, like the one in Miami that felt good, but it came in and out. So I made sure that one stayed down.”
The shot in Miami he was referring to was a jumper at the buzzer that rimmed out in the Lakers’ 89-87 loss on Dec. 19.
Since that defeat, though, Los Angeles has won eight of 10. Bryant is averaging 32.3 points, 5.5 boards and 5.1 assists during that stretch.
Pau Gasol scored 21 points and Andrew Bynum added 20 against the Pacers as the Lakers posted their second-highest point total this season. Los Angeles, which leads the NBA in scoring with 107.7 points per game, was held to a season low in points in last month’s meeting with the Heat.
Lamar Odom, who averaged 17.1 points and 9.7 rebounds with Miami in 2003-04, missed his second straight game on Friday after suffering a bone bruise in his right knee in Tuesday’s 116-105 loss to New Orleans. Lakers coach Phil Jackson would not speculate on when the 10-year forward would return.
"You can’t project on the situation,” he said.
While the Lakers look for back-to-back victories at Staples Center after their 15-game home winning streak was snapped on Tuesday, the Heat continue their season- and franchise-long seven-game road trip. It is just the third seven-game road trip in team history. The last one was Jan. 4-16, 2006 and that trek ended with a 100-92 loss to the Lakers.
Wade looked right at home on Friday night as he scored 10 of his 41 points in overtime, leading the Heat (19-16) past Sacramento 119-115.
Similar to Bryant, Wade struggled with his shot on Friday, hitting just 11-of-26 from the field. Two nights earlier, Wade made 13-of-23 for 31 points as the Heat opened their trip with a 108-97 loss to Denver.
Wade, who scored 35 in the Heat’s win on Dec. 19, leads the NBA with a career-best 29.1 points per game.
"That No. 3 is pretty good,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said of Wade.
In his last game visiting the Lakers, however, Wade was limited to 18 points as the Heat lost 106-88 on Feb. 28.
Miami’s last victory in Los Angeles was 104-102 in overtime on Christmas Day 2004.
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Posted: 1/11/09 1:05AM ET