Kobe, Lakers are coming together

The Lakers go for their third win in a row when they welcome the Indiana Pacers on Monday to the Staples Center. It is the first of two meetings this season between the clubs. The Pacers are scheduled to host LA on February 2, 2007 at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Indiana has won two of the last three meetings in the series. The Pacers have lost seven straight and 13 of their last 14 at the Lakers. The last time the Pacers defeated the Lakers on the road was on February 14, 1999.

The Lakers open a four-game homestand on Monday. Superstar Kobe Bryant scored 29 points, as the Lakers added another chapter to their rivalry with the Clippers by posting a 97-88 win on Saturday at the Staples Center. Bryant shot 11-of-23 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line.

Lamar Odom posted 18 points and eight rebounds in the win over the Clippers for the Lakers, who have won two in a row and seven of their last nine games overall. Smush Parker ended with 11 points and Vladimir Radmanovic scored 10 off the bench.

The Lakers are 9-2 as the host this season. They will play the Hornets on Wednesday, Atlanta on Friday and San Antonio on December 10th in the finale of the current homestand.

Bryant is averaging a team-best 26.4 points per game. He has also grabbed 4.7 rebounds and dished out 4.9 assists. The 6-6 Bryant has scored more than 20 points in three straight outings and has averaged 36 points per contest in that span.

The Lakers have scored over 100 points in nine games this season and are 6-3 in those contests. They are 5-4 when they allow 100 or more points.