Lakers beat Hornets to tie series

The Los Angeles Lakers were able to fend off the Hornets Wednesday winning by a final of 87-78. The Lakers title defense is being challenged already in this years playoffs after being upset in game one against the New Orleans Hornets. Behind Chris Paul's 33 points and 14 assists, the Hornets were able to stun the Lakers at the Staples Center for the game one victory.

After a grueling loss, Kobe Bryant needed to take charge for the Lakers in game two, which he failed to do. Using the performances from sixth-man of the year Lamar Odom, 16 points and seven rebounds, and Andrew Bynum, 17 points and 11 boards, the Lakers were able to squeek past the Hornets to tie up the series and 1-1. Odom and Bynum were lights out from the field, shooting a combined 16-for-23.

The Lakers defense was key as they forced the Hornets to shoot under 40% from the field, after shooting over 50% in game one. Players like Odom and Artest made the extra effort to get a hand up on the defender, and the team also put an extra emphasis on stopping Chris Paul from penetrating the lane and getting easy baskets.

Kobe Bryant, who had three points on four shots in the first half, wasn't much help as Los Angeles held down Paul and the Hornets. Bryant finished with only 11 points, his lowest total in a playoff game since back in the 2004 Finals. The one good thing for the Lakers is they were able to win despite the play from Kobe. If he plays like himself the rest of the series, it will bt tough for the Hornets to stay on top of the deep Lakers roster. They will need to take atleast a split of the next two games in New Orleans, so that they have a fighting chance going back to LA.