When the Los Angeles Lakers take the court tonight against the Houston Rockets with their playoff hopes on the line, star player and future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant will not be in the line-up. Out 6-8 months after suffering a torn ACL last Friday against Golden State, Kobe Bryant will simply be a spectator when his Lakers host the Houston Rockets.
Tip time is set for 10:30pm, EDT and the game will air live on ESPN TV.
The loss of Bryant significantly hinders the offense of the Los Angeles Lakers (44-37) but they'll also be without their star point guard Steve Nash, who will miss his eighth-consecutive game because of pains along his hip, hamstring and lower back. Knowing a win of any kind puts them in the playoffs, the Lakers can't afford to get complacent now.
"It's come down to it's in our hands and that's kind of what we've been playing for and we've wanted, so here it is," Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni told ESPN reporters. While it has not been the greatest of seasons for the first-year L.A. coach, D'Antoni has done a stellar job at keeping this team together, especially when you consider the recent losses of both Bryant and Nash.
Los Angeles can still make the playoffs with a loss at home against the Rockets (45-36) if the Utah Jazz lose earlier Wednesday evening to the Memphis Grizzlies while a Lakers loss coupled with a Jazz victory would end the season completely for L.A.
Winning tonight however would not only assure a postseason berth for Dwight Howard and the Lakers, it would secure the No. 7 seed by virtue of having a better record than Houston against Western Conference opponents.
Los Angeles is playing well at the right time, winning seven of their last eight games. The play of Dwight Howard during this recent run has been a tremendous bonus for a Laker team that was seven games below .500 earlier in the season.
Howard enters the season finale averaging over 17 points and 12 rebounds per game in 2013. Howard also totals over two blocks per contest and L.A. will surely need a tremendous defensive effort against the Rockets, the NBA's leader in team scoring with over 105 points per game.
Houston's offensive firepower stars with star guard James Harden. Averaging just under 26 points per game while shooting an even 44 pecent from the field, Harden has been consistent all season and is perhaps the main reason Houston has remained a contender in the West right from the get-go.
Rockets guard Jeremy Lin became a fan favorite last season in New York, lighting up scoreboards and exciting crowds while helping the Knicks reach the postseason. Now a member of the Rockets, Lin is the perfect complement to Harden, averaging 6 assists per game while also providing timely offense, pouring in over 13 points per contest. Add in the sharp-shooting of Chandler Parsons (15 ppg, 39 pecent from 3-point range) and it should come as no surprise that Houston leads the league in scoring.
The Rockets have already clinched a playoff berth but can finish as high as sixth in the Western Conference with a win and some help.
Every slot in the 2013 NBA Playoffs will be finalized tonight. Be sure to tune in for this Western Conference showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets tonight at 10:30 p.m., EDT, on ESPN TV.
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