As the Los Angeles Lakers prepare to play the Indiana Pacers, revenge will have to be on their minds. Back on December 15th, the Pacers crushed the Lakers, 110-91.

That final score does not even begin to describe how dominant the Pacers were in that game. At halftime they were up, 60-27, over the Lakers, and their biggest lead was 39. It was a wire-to-wire, old fashion blowout by the Pacers.

So what do the Lakers have to do to bounce back against this team? They will have to remember. Remember how badly they got beat the last time they faced the Pacers and will have to try and turn the tables on them.

The Lakers are, after all, a different team now than they were back then. The team’s dynamic has changed, as it looks like Kobe Bryant is finally trusting his teammates and sharing the ball. The team is not all about Kobe anymore, as Bryant has averaged 9.5 assists in the last two games.

“It’s been interesting, because he’s really trying to keep his (shot) numbers down,” Coach Byron Scott told reporters. “I can’t argue with the results. He’s getting everybody involved, still rebounding the ball and he’s still being aggressive. I would like his shots to be a little bit more, but I can’t argue with the way he’s playing,” Scott continued.

Kobe’s teammates cannot complain about his play either. Bryant is now doing a better job of moving the ball around instead of forcing the issue, and the results have been much better. Despite losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in their last game, the Lakers still played a well-rounded game and came close.

Ed Davis and Jeremy Lin were the leading scorers for the Lakers with 20 apiece. Bryant just had 15 points but added nine rebounds and eight assists. As long as the Lakers keep the ball moving in this game as well, they will have a terrific shot of winning.

For the Pacers, they are still banged up, as George Hill and C.J. Watson missed the team’s last game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Hill returned from a previous quadriceps injury and played in five games, averaging 14.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. He will, however, miss the next three games for the Pacers with a groin injury.

Watson is day-to-day with a foot injury and is considered questionable for this game. Ian Mahinmi is still nursing a foot injury, as he continues to sit out.

If Watson is out as well, Donald Sloan will get his second straight start. The Lakers cannot relax on Sloan, though. He could quietly put up numbers as he did against Milwaukee on Friday, posting 10 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.

This meeting will conclude the season series between the two teams. The Indiana Pacers are coming in with a road record of 6-12, but they have won the last three out of four games away from home. The Lakers hold a 4-12 home record and have lost the last three out of four at the STAPLES Center.

This game tips off at 9:30 pm Eastern Standard Time.