I'm guessing the Los Angeles Lakers are glad they only meet the Charlotte Bobcats twice a year.
The Lakers lost again to the middling Bobcats in Charlotte, and it shows that match-ups do matter in the NBA. The Lakers are leading the Western Conference and second in the league in terms of wins, but have found little success in beating the Bobcats in recent years. The Bobcats hold a 5-1 edge against the Lakers in their last 6 meetings.
Why are the Lakers ineffective against the Bobcats? Well, fatigue may be a factor for this game as the Lakers failed again to score more than 90 points (The team is one of the better offensive teams in the league). Kobe Bryant shot poorly again (11 for 28) and the team followed suit, with a 39% shooting clip as a unit.
Another is the personnel involved-- the Bobcats play with energy and inspired ball against the Lakers. Players like Gerald Wallace, Boris Diaw, a rejuvenated Raja Bell seem to give the Lakers defense fits.
The Lakers, in my books, is now in a slump-- they are tired from the road travel and have lost two in a row. The timing couldn't be worse because they have now fallen behind the Cleveland Cavaliers further. The Cavs are peaking at the right moment, sheesh.
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