7:30 pm ET
Los Angeles: 56-14 (25-9 road)
Margin: +7.9 ppg (+6.4 last 25%)
Last 10:8-2
Pistons: 34-36 (18-18 home)
Margin: -0.5 (-0.4 last 25%)
Last 10:3-7
Oppo research
I had a more detailed analysis, but unfortunately I was using Internet Explorer, which doesn't play nice with ESPN.com (or with anything else for that matter). Serves me right for using it.
But what more could I tell you about the Lakers? Here's the short scoop. Without Andrew Bynum, they aren't winning a championship, but Kobe and Pau are still enough to make any team good. The Pistons have had success against them recently, but not by virtue of giving Will Bynum 34 minutes.
The Drama:
TNT is showing Miami-Chicago? That can't be what the league had in mind when they scheduled this for a Thursday night.
Keys for Detroit
Harass Gasol: He's been hobbled, and the Pistons limited him to 11 shots last time around. Not sure Phil Jackson is going to want to give him 40 minutes tonight, especially if the going gets rough.
Rest 'Dyess: I've been loving the output of late, and I know we are in a playoff race, but the whole point of making the playoffs is to do something once you are there.
Speed it up: Still with the plodding offensive schemes? Even with Will Bynum getting 30 mpg? Seriously?
Question of the Game
Will this get ugly? The Pistons didn't look too good against the Bulls, and the Lakers are, um, not the Bulls.