San Antonio Spurs @ Los Angeles Lakers on NBA on TNT Thursday

All is not cool in Laker Land, as the Los Angeles Lakers are in a world of hurt. The two-time defending NBA champions had lost two straight at home, and four of their past seven overall, before struggling past the Houston Rockets Tuesday. And Wednesday, the day after going to overtime for the first time this season to salvage a win against the Rockets, Lakers star Kobe Bryant and head coach Phil Jackson were fielding questions about Ron Artest demanding a trade, and how bad the injury is to starting centre Andrew Bynum, who’s out of the lineup with a bone bruise in his left knee. For his part, Artest, an 11-year veteran who is averaging career lows in points (8.1 per game) and shots (7.6) this season, says he's happy to be a Laker. An ESPN report had said Artest is unhappy with his limited role on the Laker offense and feels he's getting the blame for the Lakers' struggles.



Lamar Odom will likely get the start when the Lakers host the San Antonio Spurs in a meeting of the top two teams in the NBA’s Western Conference at the Staples Center on NBA on TNT Thursday (10:30 pm ET, TNT). San Antonio (40-8 SU, 28-18-2 ATS) suffered a rare loss Tuesday, dropping a 99-86 decision to the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden. The Spurs failed to cash as a 5-point road favorite and the score went under the total of 187.Los Angeles (34-15 SU, 21-28 ATS), which leads the Pacific division by 10.5 games despite its woes, trailed the Rockets in the third quarter Tuesday before coming back for a 114-106 overtime win. The Lakers failed to cover as an 8.5-point home favorite and the score was over the total of 210. The Spurs beat the Lakers 97-82 in their previous meeting this season on Dec. 28, cashing as a 3.5-point home favorite.



Scott Matthews now has free daily plays. Call 1-888-777-5104 or check out his webcast at smpicks .