Houston Rockets vs. LA Lakers: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

The Los Angeles Lakers (3-3) will look to rebound from Sunday's loss to the Denver Nuggets as they welcome the Houston Rockets (2-2) to Staples Center. Both teams entered the season with playoff hopes, so they won't be satisfied with hovering around .500 for much longer.

Houston is one of the NBA's most talented young teams led by Kevin Martin, who has averaged at least 19 points for seven straight seasons. The Rockets also have a good amount of depth and should be able to endure the condensed schedule without any major issues.

The Lakers had a rough offseason that was highlighted by their trade for Chris Paul getting vetoed. Now, they are trying to regroup with only a couple depth additions, and the early results have been mixed. Adding to the worries is Kobe Bryant's injury, which he continues to play through for now.

Where: Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif.

When: Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 10:30 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox Sports Houston (Rockets), Fox Sports West (Lakers) or NBA League Pass

Listen: KILT 610 AM (Rockets) or KSPN 710 AM (Lakers)

Betting Line: Lakers -7

Key Injuries (via CBS Sports)

Rockets: No injuries to report.

Lakers: PF Derrick Caracter (out, knee)

What's At Stake?

Tuesday's game will be a good measuring stick game for the Rockets. The Lakers are nearly back at full strength with the return of Andrew Bynum, so a youthful Houston squad will get to see exactly how close they are to being legitimate contenders in the Western Conference.

As for Los Angeles, it's all about building up some momentum. Even though things haven't fallen the Lakers' way so far, there is still enough talent to make some noise before season's end. A winning streak would help bring back some of that confidence which has been missing.

What They're Saying

The Rockets were on the verge of acquiring Pau Gasol shortly after the lockout ended, but the deal couldn't be completely. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle says that tonight's game will be a little more interesting than normal because of those talks:

"

Assuming the Rockets have gotten over the failed trade for Pau Gasol — an endeavor made easier by Luis Scola’s and Kevin Martin’s strong play — Tuesday night still has the potential to reopen the wound. (…)

But the sting could soon return, depending on how well Dalembert and the other Rockets big men deal with the Lakers’ combination of Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

"

Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times passed along some thoughts from Lakers head coach Mike Brown concerning Bryant's shooting woes against Denver:

"

The coach's assessment: He was "OK with most of" Bryant's shots but said Bryant needed to find a shooting rhythm with the torn ligament in his right wrist that has plagued him since the preseason.

"He might not say it," Brown said, referring to Bryant's tendency to avoid excuses, "but try to hold a microphone with a torn ligament, let alone shoot it and make sure you get a follow-through. That's a bear."

"

Rockets Player to Watch: PF Luis Scola

Scola has gotten off to a slow start average four straight seasons of improvement to begin his NBA career. He's averaging just 16 points and six rebounds even though his minutes have remained constant from last season. It's nothing to worry about quite yet, though.

The tandem of Gasol and Bynum will pose a matchup problem for the Rockets and will put a lot of pressure on Scola on the defensive end. It's hard to imagine his mini slump coming to an end tonight against such a solid frontcourt.

Lakers Player to Watch: C Andrew Bynum

Bynum has been a monster in the paint since returning from his suspension. He's starting to look like the interior force everybody has been expecting to emerge for several seasons now. Injuries have slowed him down and stopped him from reaching those heights, though.

If the Lakers fancy themselves as NBA title contenders, Bynum will need to be a true superstar on a nightly basis. There's no more room for flashes of brilliance and stretches of average play. He's off to a good start at the very least.

Key Matchup: Kevin Martin vs. Kobe Bryant

It's always intriguing when two pure scorers face off. Martin knows every matchup with Bryant is a chance to prove he belongs in the upper echelon of NBA shooting guards, but Kobe certainly isn't going to let him get anything easy.

Even though Bryant's wrist hasn't been a major issue to this point, to be dealing with it so early in the season is concerning. It will be interesting to see if he eventually shuts it down for awhile or battles through the pain all the way to the bitter end.

Prediction

Lakers 98, Rockets 93