The Los Angeles Lakers lost their fourth straight game on Thursday night when they fell to the New York Knicks 116-107.
They have an excellent opportunity to end the skid when they visit the lowly Washington Wizards on Friday night.
The Wizards, who have won just three games this season, will face the Lakers on the heels of a 99-93 to the Rockets in Houston on Wednesday.
Here are a few issues to consider ahead of tonight’s game:
Nash nearing return
Things have been going poorly for the Lakers without the Two Steves, as both Nash and Blake have been sidelined by injuries.
But the Orange County Register reports that there is bright news on the horizon. Nash told the paper that his leg is “responding very well” to running and he expects to practise next week.
That may allow Nash to return to action Dec. 22 against the Golden State Warriors or for a Christmas Day rematch with the Knicks.
Those that have been there before
While these are tough times in Lakerland, Kobe Bryant still believes in his team but thinks the veterans need to set the standard if things are going to turn around.
“A lot of responsibility is going to fall on me and Pau (Gasol), but we need Metta (World Peace),” Bryant told Yahoo! Sports. “Metta has a big presence on this team. I really encourage him to take that role head on – and to be an enforcer with it. But Metta, he’s done it before. We’ve won before together.”
Bryant went on to say that he shares a similar attitude with World Peace regarding their intensity about the game. He compared their relationship to that of a pair of Lakers legends.
“Metta’s just as intense as I am, and he’s got a lot of that psychopath attitude that I do,” Bryant said. “That’s something Magic and me talked about, about how (Michael) Cooper and him did that a lot, how they played off each other.”
Injury update
It will likely be a game-time decision whether Pau Gasol returns to action on Friday night, but if he didn’t play on Thursday night against the Knicks, odds are he won’t be back on Friday.
On the other end of the floor, John Wall is expected to have his knee reevaluated on Friday, with the Wizards hoping to get a timetable in place for their star point guard.
John Wall to have left knee examined by Dr. David Altchek in NY Friday. Wiz hoping to get specific timetable for his return, sources say. — Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) December 13, 2012
John Wall to have left knee examined by Dr. David Altchek in NY Friday. Wiz hoping to get specific timetable for his return, sources say.
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) December 13, 2012
Before the season began, the Wizards were a dark horse to claim the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but the absence of Wall has pretty much laid that idea to rest.
Celebrity sighting
Second-year Wizards forward Trevor Booker bumped into a celebrity recently and a had a funny story to tell on Twitter:
I just met Chris tucker but didn’t know he told me I look like Lebron James I told him he looked like Chris Tucker — Trevor Booker (@35_Fitz) December 14, 2012
I just met Chris tucker but didn’t know he told me I look like Lebron James I told him he looked like Chris Tucker
— Trevor Booker (@35_Fitz) December 14, 2012
