Merry Christmas, to those of you celebrating it, and warm season's greetings to those of you who aren't.

Christmas is not a favorite day on the NBA schedule for fans of the Lakers. The purple and gold have a tear-stained history of getting beaten, often in memorably degrading ways, on this holiday. Many of us I think would be happy were the league office to give the Lakers Christmas Day off, but since that's not happening, here we are yet again. At least LeBron James is nowhere in the vicinity.

Instead we host the New York Knicks, who just two weeks ago smashed the Lake Show at Madison Square Garden. Since then they've gone 3-2, leveling off a bit after their crazy 17-5 start. That game in New York, of course, happened without Pau Gasol or Steve Nash, so one hopes the Lakers can make this one better fight.

Cheers and happy holidays.