NBA PREVIEW: Orlando Magic vs. Los Angeles Lakers; Will Kobe Play? (Tonight, 10:30 PM EST; TV: ESPN)
Two elite teams in their respected conferences square off tonight in Los Angeles, as the Orlando Magic face the Lakers at 10:30 pm Eastern time on ESPN.
But the big story is Lakers' star guard Kobe Bryant.
Late in the game against the Mavericks on Saturday night, Bryant came down on his ankle and rolled it, and had to exit the game in the third quarter.
Bryant called it the scariest sprained ankle of his career.
Tonight, the swelling has gone down from it's previous size of a baseball, and Phil Jackson is calling the injury a game-time decision.
Because of Bryant's competitive spirit it seems likely that he will see action tonight.
The Lakers have been very hot since the All-Star break. They've won nine-of-10 games, with the only loss being a nail biter in Miami.
While the Lakers have been streaking, the Magic have seen mixed results since the All-Star break. Orlando has won six games and lost five.
The victories include a blowout win over Oklahoma City, and a victory over Miami. But the team has also suffered losses to Sacramento and Golden State, both teams with very slim chances of making the playoffs.
The Magic are led by star center Dwight Howard who is averaging nearly 23 points and 14 rebounds a game.
Orlando has made some recent additions. They brought Hedo Turkoglu back to the team he helped take to the NBA Finals, and also guard Jason Richardson.
It will be interesting to see who Richardson will be guarding tonight. Will it be Kobe Bryant? Or will it be Shannon Brown?
The Magic have 42 wins and 25 losses. The Lakers have 47 wins and 20 losses.
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