NEW ORLEANS (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Lakers begin a
four-game road trip with a visit to New Orleans to take on the
winless Hornets on Tuesday.
Kobe Bryant scored 24 points and Caron Butler broke out for 22
on 10-of-14 shooting as the Lakers evened their mark Sunday with
a convincing 106-90 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Lamar Odom and Chris Mihm both had double-doubles in the win as
Los Angeles turned in its finest team effort of the season and
snapped a two-game slide.
The Lakers, who play their next four games on the road, have
dominated the series with the Hornets. They owns a 23-10
advantage in the series, including an 11-5 mark on the road.
However, New Orleans snapped a five-game home losing streak to
the Lakers in the last meeting, a 114-95 triumph at New Orleans
Arena. It was Los Angeles' worst loss in the series.
The Hornets are off to their first 0-3 start since the 1994-95
season and are 0-2 at home. They lost a fourth-quarter lead in
a 99-92 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. It was
their seventh straight loss dating back to the preseason.
Baron Davis is averaging 27.3 points per game, but just two
others are in double figures - David Wesley (15.0) and Jamaal
Magloire (11.3) for New Orleans.
The Hornets have dropped eight of their last 10 overall vs. the
Lakers. A loss Tuesday would drop them to 0-4 for the first
time since 1989-90 - the franchise's second season.




