(My Sportsbook) - Pacific Division rivals get together tonight at US Airways Center, where the Phoenix Suns will host the Los Angeles Lakers. Los Angeles won its first seven games of the season until suffering a 106-95 loss to the Detroit Pistons last Friday at home. The Lakers then rebounded with Tuesday's 116-109 triumph over the Chicago Bulls in the finale of a short two-game homestand, as Pau Gasol registered a season-high 34 points and reigning MVP Kobe Bryant added 21 in the win. Andrew Bynum posted 18 points and nine rebounds to become the eighth-youngest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 boards in a career, doing it at 21 years and 22 days of age. The Lakers are 4-0 as the visitor this season and 7-0 versus the Western Conference. Phoenix will open a brief two-game homestand Thursday versus the Lakers and Trail Blazers, and is 3-2 as the host in 2008-09. It had a two-game winning streak stopped with Monday's 109-97 loss to the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. Amare Stoudemire led all scorers with 30 points and pulled down eight rebounds for the Suns, who are 4-2 in their past six games overall. Matt Barnes added 19 points and Steve Nash finished with 14 and eight assists in defeat. Los Angeles went 3-1 against the Suns last year, but Phoenix has won 11 of the previous 16 matchups in this series. The Lakers have lost 10 of their last 15 trips to the desert. |
