The Miami Heat and LA Lakers are playing live on the NBA schedule on Tuesday night and the matchup from the Staples Center starts at 10:30 pm ET and Kobe Bryant is expected to be in the lineup after missing a few games and he will matchup with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in some east-west action.
The Lakers come into the game at 12-26 on the season and they will matchup against the Cavs in LA after this game. The Cavaliers are on a west coast trip and they will visit the Staples Center on Thursday for a matchup between Kobe and LeBron James. The Lakers are averaging over 100 points per game this season, but the team is ranked 29th in defense and they come in after a loss against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Carlos Boozer had nine rebounds in the matchup and now the Lakers take on the Heat and Miami is 16-21 on the season after losing LeBron James. The team comes in after a win against the Clippers and they will play against the Warriors next on the schedule. The team is third in the southeast division and they are ranked 28th in scoring and eighth in points allowed per game. Bosh scored 34 points in the matchup with the Clippers, while Wade had 10 assists to lead Miami.
Bryant has missed three of the last four games and he was able to practice on Monday and he looks like he will be set to play against Miami. Byron Scott is going to limit Bryant's minutes the second half of the season and he could give the team a boost after the loss to the Blazers. Miami is 9-9 on the road this season, while the Lakers are just 6-13 at home and they are headed towards another lottery pick.