Kobe vs. LeBron. Chris Bosh vs. Dwight Howard. Steve Nash vs. Dwayne Wade.
Stars will align--and collide--when LeBron James and the world champion Miami Heat visit Tinseltown tonight to take on league-leading scorer Kobe Bryant and the L.A. Lakers.
Bryant, James, Wade and Howard will face each other again as All-Star starters on Feb. 17 when the NBA All-Star Game comes to Houston, but tonight, they face off for gain in the NBA standings rather than for pride.
The Lakers, who have struggled all season, have started a modest two-game winning streak behind the new, tenacious defense of Bryant, who has shut down top scorers Kyrie Irving and Brandon Jennings in the last two games. And with Pau Gasol expected to return from a concussion that has kept him sidelined for the last few games, the Lakers will have all of their weapons at the ready when they host Miami's "Big Three" of James, Wade and Bosh.
Meanwhile, the Heat have been struggling themselves as of late, having lost four of their last seven games, with the team's lack of rebounding becoming an issue. However, Miami did look strong coming off a 92-75 win over the young Golden State Warriors Wednesday, so they might have a little bit of a bounce forward as they look to get some momentum going.
Latinos Post breaks down the key match-ups for tonight's big game:
Shooting Guard: Dwayne Wade, Heat vs. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
If there were ever a big time match-up to watch this would be it.
Bryant and Wade, two of the league's top 10 scorers--both of whom will start in the NBA All-Star Game in February--have done it all in the NBA, each having won multiple championships and both reaching the upper echelon of talent in the league.
The key here will be to see whether if Bryant's new hounding approach to defense, having held Irving to 15 points and Jennings to 12 points in back-to-back contests. If the "Black Mamba" can clamp down on D-Wade, that spells trouble for Miami, and good things for the Lakers.
Advantage: Lakers
Point Guard: Mario Chalmers, Heat vs. Steve Nash, Lakers
Nash has been his usual high-rolling, assist-generating self, averaging 11.0 points and 9.2 assists in the last five games. Few have ever played the game with his uncanny passing ability and way to find the open man.
Chalmers has been up-and-down this season, but he's been showing new signs of life after scoring a career-high 34 points in Saturday's win over the Kings. He'll need that confidence tonight, as Nash is not particularly known for his defense. Chalmers getting hot could be the X-factor the Heat need.
Advantage: Lakers
Center: Chris Bosh, Heat vs. Dwight Howard, Lakers
A better battle in the paint you'll never find.
These two surefire NBA All-Stars have been putting up their usual dominating numbers this season.
Bosh, however, has seen his point production decline in the last three games, scoring only 14.3 points in that stretch. But he's still a dangerous shooter for a near seven-footer and can be a dangerous shot-blocker.
Howard, coming off a torn labrum, has looked as strong as he ever has in the last two games, coming of a 31-point, 16-rebound gem against Milwaukee on Tuesday. And the multiple-time Defensive Player of the Year can defend with the best of them.
Expect these two to go back and forth in a true Battle of the Big Men.
Advantage: Even
Power Forward: Udonis Haslem, Heat vs. Pau Gasol, Lakers
It's uncertain what to expect of Gasol when he returns from his concussion Thursday night. On the one hand, he hasn't been performing to his usual standards this season, struggling to fit in with coach Mike D'Antoni's fast-paced offense, and a litany of injuries has plagued him.
Haslem doesn't have much scoring pop to him, but he's a terrific defender who can disrupt a defense pretty well. Depending upon Gasol's condition, this will either be a solid night for him...or a very long one.
Advantage: Heat
Small Forward: LeBron James, Heat vs. Metta World Peace, Lakers
After having slow performances against Portland (15 points) and Sacramento (20 points), James has returned to form with 32- and 25-point games against Utah and Golden State, respectively, this week. When James is on fire, no one can stop him.
But he could face a challenge if World Peace and Bryant double-up on him; their combined efforts could feasibly cause James some problems. World Peace was a big scorer for Los Angeles against Houston (24 points) and San Antonio (23 points), but has regressed to normal levels. But defense will be the name of the game for him tonight against James.
Advantage: Heat
Bench
The loss of Jordan Hill will be a blow for the Lakers, so expect Antawn Jamison to pick up the slack. Darius Morris and Chris Duhon eat up some minutes at the point guard position, so they can provide Nash a decent rest.
Sharpshooter Ray Allen will be ready for Miami, and has been providing double figures in scoring over the last four games off the bench. The speedy Norris Cole adds depth behind Chalmers and defensive stopper Shane Battier always comes in handy.
Advantage: Heat
Game time starts at 10:30 p.m. EST. Live score is available via TV Companion, here.
The live streaming of the game will be available on TNT Overtime (FREE)
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