Tonight at 10:30 p.m. ET the Lakers (4-21) will try to take advantage of the in-house turmoil of the Rockets (12-14) when they face off at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on TNT, which can be live streamed free by clicking this link. Lakers fans can listen to the radio broadcast on 710 ESPN, while Rockets fans may do likewise on Sports Talk 790.
The sub-.500 Rockets entered the season with title hopes coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance, but after firing their coach Kevin McHale early in the year, the wheels haven’t stopped coming off. Now, on top of their disjointed play, rumors are circulating that center Dwight Howard wants out.
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This is the same Howard who chose Houston in free agency, spurning the Lakers and their extra year of max money. He is currently denying any trade requests or rifts with James Harden.
"I haven't said nothing to nobody about anything," Howard said. "I've been positive and trying to help turn this thing around every way possible. People are always going to make up lies and rumors to get off. But I haven't said nothing about anything to anybody. That has never been my focus. I'm trying to get these guys to play better and get myself to play better. So why would I say that to anybody?"
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Howard has reason to be down. Despite playing 32 minutes a night he’s averaging 12.6 points, the lowest mark since his rookie campaign, and attempting 8.3 shots, the same as his first year. His usage percentage is also down significantly, from 23.7 percent last year to 17.5 percent now.
Harden’s points and usage have risen in that time, although he’s grown more inefficient. He will be up against Kobe Bryant tonight, who says he has been feeling strong physically.
"I'm consistently feeling good now," Bryant said. "I feel like I have my legs underneath me." That’s backed up by the stats, which have been kind to him in the past two games. Kobe has put up 25 and 22 points in his last two tilts, shooting no worse than 46 percent. He was also up over 40 percent from 3-point range, where he’d been dreadful all year.
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