Lakers try to make Magic disappear in LA

This is the second and final meeting of the season between the clubs. On December 23rd, Kobe Bryant finished with 21 points to lead the Lakers to an easy 104-88 win over the Magic at TD Waterhouse Centre.

The Lakers have won two straight and five of the last six meetings in this series. Orlando has lost eight straight at the Lakers.

The last time the Magic beat the Lakers on the road was on March 17, 1996.

Orlando attempts to get back on the winning track this evening. On Sunday, Yao Ming posted a double-double, scoring 29 points and grabbing 11 boards, as the Houston Rockets held on to beat the Magic, 89-84, at the TD Waterhouse Centre.

Grant Hill paced the Magic with 22 points and Carlos Arroyo added 17 points off the bench in the loss to the Rockets for Orlando, which has dropped nine of 10 and 13 of its last 15 contests overall.

The Magic are a brutal 6-21 on the road this season. They will also visit Golden State, Phoenix, Denver and Utah on the current swing.

LA attempts to halt a two-game losing streak. On Sunday, Paul Pierce scored 39 points and hit the winning free throw with 3.2 seconds left to catapult the Boston Celtics to a 112-111 victory over the Lakers at the Staples Center.

Bryant led the way with 40 points in the loss to Boston for the Lakers, but he had just three points in the final quarter. Bryant also ended with eight rebounds and six assists. Brian Cook ended with 19 points, while Lamar Odom contributed 14 points, 10 boards and seven assists for Los Angeles in defeat.

The Lakers are a respectable 15-11 as the host this season. After tonight’s game, the Lakers hit the road for a pair of games against Portland on Wednesday and Golden State on Friday.