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The band is back together again, FINALLY. For the first time since Halloween night, we get to see Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Steve Blake on the floor all at once. Officially Nash is a gametime decision, but Mark Medina reports that he will play this evening in Oakland. It's another variable that Mike D'Antoni will have to manage as he works on finding lineup configurations to his liking, but plainly this problem is one he's happy to have.
The Warriors might be the surprise team of the NBA so far. They've won 15 of their last 20 games and have notched victories over the Clippers, the Heat, the Hawks (twice) and the Nets (twice). David Lee's having an All-Star caliber season, Stephen Curry's playing well, and Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry are strong performers off the bench. They did host the Bobcats just last night, so energy-wise the Lakers should have the advantage.