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Pau Gasol isn't playing tonight, which is good news for the Lakers. It's not good news that he's hurt (tendinitis in both knees), but it's been apparent for a while that Pau's just not right physically, and I'm glad they're sitting him down in the hopes he'll heal and come back looking more like the Pau we remember.
In his place I hope we see more Jordan Hill. He got mysteriously DNP-CD'd on Sunday night, and look... I know Antawn Jamison has been playing well, but you just can't keep someone like Hill screwed to the bench, especially not on a team that sleepwalks through every other game. The Lakers need Hill's aggressiveness and energy, and hopefully today's the start of a more regular role for him.
At 8-8 the Rockets are clustered with the Lakers toward the bottom of the West's playoff standings. They have, however, won four of their last five, including victories over the Bulls, Knicks and Jazz.