Lakers target their seventh straight win

On Sunday, in what very well could be a preview of the NBA Finals, Shaquille O’Neal scored 23 points in the Lakers’ 99-77 win over the Indiana Pacers at the Staples Center. Karl Malone added 11 points and 15 rebounds while Kobe Bryant chipped in with 12 points and seven assists, as Los Angeles stretched its winning streak to a season-high six games.

Derek Fisher added 12 points and Stanislav Medvedenko had 10 for the Lakers, who improved to 14-3 on the season.

The win extended Los Angeles’ home winning streak to 25 games dating back to last season and gave it a 10-0 mark on its home-court this season. However, it has been a different story on the road for the high-flying Lakers, who are just 4-3 away from home this season and will close a brief two-game trip in Dallas on Thursday.

San Antonio, meanwhile, will try and put the brakes on a three-game losing streak tonight, but will do so with Tim Duncan back in the lineup. Duncan missed Monday’s 91-83 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, while serving his one- game suspension for making contact with an NBA official in Golden State on Saturday.

Malik Rose scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Monday’s loss for the Spurs, who last lost three in a row from March 27-31, 2002.

San Antonio also fell to 1-3 this season when playing without two-time defending MVP Duncan, who also missed three games earlier in the month with a sprained ankle.

The Lakers have already defeated the Spurs twice this season, but San Antonio has come away with a victory in five of the last eight matchups. Los Angeles has also lost seven of its last 10 on the Spurs court.