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Lakers look to stay hot against Spurs

Jan 23, 2008 - 3:26 PM LA Lakers (27-12) at San Antonio (26-13) 9:00 pm EST

SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) -- The San Antonio Spurs haven't looked like defending NBA champions in January.

The Spurs hope to win their second straight game Wednesday when they host against the red-hot Los Angeles Lakers.

San Antonio, coming off a 95-86 win at Charlotte on Monday, has not won three consecutive games since a five-game unbeaten run from November 28-December 7.

"For a decade now, this has been our period where we get into a little lull," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, whose teams is just 5-5 in January. "Hopefully we will be a lot better at playoff time as we have been in the past."

The Spurs trail Dallas and New Orleans in the Southwest Division, but star center Tim Duncan is not concerned.

"We have the same set of guys. We have the experience," Duncan said.

Los Angeles is 8-1 in its last nine games and 2-1 since losing emerging center Andrew Bynum until at least March with a left knee injury.

The Lakers did not miss Bynum in Monday's 116-99 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Derek Fisher scored 28 points, Jordan Farmar added 19 off the bench and Kobe Bryant chipped in 17 and 11 assists for Los Angeles, which has won 18 of its last 22 games.

The Spurs and Lakers have split the first two of four regular-season meetings, each winning at home.