Lakers host Kings

This is the second meeting of the season between the clubs. On January 19th, Mike Bibby scored 40 points and Kenny Thomas registered a triple-double, as the Kings knocked off the Lakers, 118-109, in an overtime thriller at ARCO Arena.

The winning team has scored over 100 points in the last 14 meetings in this series, while Sacramento has won three straight contests. The Kings have won two straight at the Lakers.

Los Angeles plays the finale of a five-game homestand. It is 2-2 on the current stand. On Tuesday, Kobe Bryant finished with 27 points, six rebounds and five steals as the Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, 99-82, at the Staples Center.

Lamar Odom netted 20 points and pulled down a season-high 17 rebounds in the win for the Lakers, who have won three of their last five games overall. Smush Parker contributed 13 points and dished out nine assists in the victory.

Bryant, who is averaging a league-best 34.9 points per game, has scored over 20 points in 33 straight outings.

The Lakers are 14-10 as the host this season. They are 8-2 in their last 10 at home.

Sacramento attempts to win its second straight game. Brad Miller scored 17 points and Bibby netted 16 as the Kings crushed the Golden State Warriors, 102-77, at ARCO Arena.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim added 15 points off the bench in the win over Golden State for the Kings, who won their ninth straight home game. Rookie Francisco Garcia scored 13 points, while forward Kenny Thomas pulled down 13 rebounds in the victory.

The Kings are a dismal 7-18 on the road this season. They have lost five of their last six games as the visitor.

The teams will meet twice more this season. The clubs will clash on March 14th at Sacramento and again on March 22nd at the Staples Center.