Kings vs. Lakers: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

The Los Angeles Lakers started the second half of their season on a positive note, and they'll be looking to keep the good vibes going against the Sacramento Kings on Friday night at the Staples Center.

The Kings are not a good team, but they're also not a team that should be taken lightly. They have several dynamic players who can cause trouble, and we've seen them pull off some upsets against some pretty good teams this season.

The Lakers will be fine if they take care of business, but you just never know with this particular Lakers team.

If you're looking to watch this game regardless, here's a rundown of everything you need to know.

Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

When: Friday, March 2 at 10:30 p.m. EST

Watch: CSN-CA, FSW-LAL, KHTK, KSPN; streaming online via NBA League Pass

Listen: KHTK Sports 1140 AM for Sacramento radio, KSPN 710 AM for Los Angeles radio.

Betting Line: Lakers -10, according to Bovada.

Key Injuries

According to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee, Kings forward/center J.J. Hickson was seen on crutches after injuring his hip against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. He will undergo further testing, and Jones tweeted on Thursday night that Hickson will not be playing in Friday night's game.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has a broken nose and is dealing with neck pain, but Mike Trudell of Lakers.com reported on Twitter that he will start against the Kings.

What They're Saying

Kings rookie guard Isaiah Thomas is starting to generate some positive buzz. He's logged significant minutes and played very well in recent games, and he was named the NBA's Western Conference Rookie of the Month for February this week.

Thomas told the Sacramento Bee that head coach Keith Smart has let him off the leash.

"He's put a lot of trust in me," Thomas said said of Smart. "I kind of go to him first, like what do you see out there, what do you want? And a lot of times he'll say, well, what do you want?"

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Kobe continues to amaze. Wearing a mask to protect his nose against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, Kobe scored 31 points and nearly recorded a triple-double.

Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times refused to make too big a deal out of it.

"Bryant had 31 points and eight assists but there's no need to send the item to the Hall of Fame. Mask Mania certainly isn't Linsanity," he wrote.

Phew.

Most Important Player to Watch

Duh. It's Kobe Bryant.

We'll see if Kobe wears the mask again, but it really doesn't matter if he's wearing anything on his face. He's one of the most lethal players in the NBA, and the Kings stand no shot of winning this game if Kobe is playing like his usual self.

Kobe is still leading the league in scoring at 28.5 points per game, though he's barely holding off Kevin Durant. In one game against Sacramento earlier this season, Kobe scored 29 points in 38 minutes of action.

Key Matchup

The Lakers need to make a point of playing good defense on Sacramento's guards. Tyreke Evans is one of the more dangerous players in the Western Conference, Marcus Thornton is leading the team in scoring, Isaiah Thomas has scored in double figures in six straight games and even Jimmer Fredette poses a threat.

Prediction: Lakers 98, Kings 91