Los Angeles Lakers Team Report - March 3

(Basketball News) - The Los Angeles Lakers play the finale of their four-game road trip tonight as they visit Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center.

This is the third meeting of the season between the two clubs. Houston has won the previous two contests, as it beat the Lakers, 99-87, on December 25, 2003 at the Staples Center, and then defeated LA, 102-87, on February 11.

Houston has won four of the last six meetings with the Lakers, who have lost two of their last three at Houston.

On Tuesday, the Lakers were stunned by the Atlanta Hawks, 94-93, at Philips Arena. Gary Payton registered a triple-double for the Lakers with 23 points, 10 boards and 10 assists, while Shaquille O’Neal also had 23 points to go along with 14 rebounds for Los Angeles, which lost for only the second time in its last nine contests.

The Lakers played the Hawks without All-Star guard Kobe Bryant, who was in Colorado for a court hearing in his sexual assault case. Bryant is expected to join the Lakers for tonight’s game.

LA is 9-3 in Wednesday games this season. The Lakers are 21-3 when they score at least 100 points this season.

The Lakers, who are 2-1 on their current road swing, is 16-16 as the visitor this season.

Payton is averaging 19.5 points, six rebounds and 7.5 assists in his last two games.