LA Lakers vs. LA Clippers: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More
Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers (9-4) will battle Chris Paul's circus-esque Los Angeles Clippers (5-3) in Hollywood Saturday night in what is the two rivals' first meeting of the regular season.
The Clips are coming off a huge win over the Miami Heat while the Lake Show has won five straight overall to emerge as a Western Conference heavyweight.
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
When: Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, 10:30 PM ET
Watch: NBA TV or stream live with NBA League Pass
Listen: Los Angeles: KSPN 710 AM
Betting Line
LA Clippers Minus-2 over LA Lakers, according to covers.com. This is right on considering what the Clippers did to the Lakers in preseason, and considering that Lob City will technically be playing at home Saturday night, with the court painted to match their uniforms.
Over/Under: 187, according to covers.com. The Lakers have been playing superb defense as of late and haven't scored more than 100 points on one occasion during their winning streak. The Clippers are capable of exploding offensively but it's unlikely they will against their crosstown rival. Under is the way to go Saturday night.
Key Injuries
Lakers: Steve Blake (ribs), out and expected to miss at least 3-4 weeks, according to ESPN.com.
Clippers: No significant injuries.
What's At Stake?
Both teams will be playing for LA's respect and love on Saturday night. The Clippers gave fans reason to believe they could top the Lakers this year during preseason, and can change history with an early-season win over their rival.
Meanwhile, Kobe can keep up his historical run while leading the Lakers to the top of the Western Conference standings.
What They're Saying
Lakers star Kobe Bryant sees the Clippers as a good measuring stick for his streaking squad.
""It's a good test. I'm looking forward to it, it's going to be a good challenge. We're going to be pumped up and excited. There's going to be a lot of energy."
"
Everyone's favorite talking head, ESPN's Skip Bayless, thinks the Black Mamba has been inspired as of late by the doubters.
Lakers Player to Watch: Kobe Bryant
The Mamba has posted at least 40 points in three consecutive games, making him the hands-down player to watch Saturday night. Bryant is taking roughly 25 shots per game this season and scoring more than 31 per game for the Lakers.
The shift from championship Kobe to old Kobe has resulted in a surprisingly dramatic change for the Lakers, who are firing on all cylinders heading into their matchup with the new-look Clippers.
Clippers Player to Watch: Blake Griffin
The most exciting double-double in all of basketball will take center stage for the Clippers Saturday night. Griffin is averaging more than 23 PPG this season and nearly 11 rebounds per contest. When he isn't cleaning up on the glass at Staples Center, he will likely be throwing down hair-raising alley-oops from All-Star point guard Chris Paul.
Key Matchup: Kobe Bryant vs. Clippers Defense
Without a doubt the most crucial matchup in determining a winner Saturday night will be how Kobe fares against the Clips D. The assassin has been incredible over the past week or so, dropping 40-plus points effortlessly and leading the Lakers to wins left and right.
If the Clippers are to avoid falling victim to the Black Mamba, they will need to take the ball out of his hands early and often.
Prediction
The better team play will win out in the end and Kobe simply cannot keep up his eye-popping numbers for another 48 minutes.
Clippers 94, Lakers 88
