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By the time you read this the news may be obsolete one way or another, but this afternoon we learned that Kobe Bryant is suffering flu-like symptoms and might sit out tonight's game. Steves Nash and Blake remain out with their respective injuries.
Tonight's opponent, the Indiana Pacers, are among the more disappointing teams in the NBA this season. After taking the Miami Heat to six games in the conference semifinals last year, they're off to a 6-8 start against what might be the easiest schedule in the league. Their defense has been good (2nd in efficiency), their offense a disaster (28th). Danny Granger is out with a sore left knee and in his absence they've been relying heavily on Paul George, David West, George Hill and Roy Hibbert. Only West and Hill are holding up their end of the bargain. This is the start of a four-game road trip for the Pacers.