Los Angeles (57-25, 38-44 ATS) looked terrible down the stretch, at one point losing five straight games—including six straight losses against the spread. The team rebounded to win its final pair of games, though that was against resting San Antonio and terrible Sacramento.

The good news is Andrew Bynum is OK. The big man hyperextended his knee against the Spurs, but he’s expected to be ready for Game 1 against New Orleans. In a bizarre injury twist, the team is trying to prevent an outbreak of chicken pox. Guard Steve Blake came down with the illness, and players including Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum have never had them before. Blake has been sent home in the meantime.

The Lakers’ offense struggled through most of the losing streak, but it’s seemingly back on track now. The team has scored 100-plus points in three consecutive games. Bryant has his playoff face on, averaging 31.3 points in those games.

New Orleans (46-36, 39-40-3 ATS), meanwhile, has lost three straight games. The Hornets were absolutely destroyed by Dallas in their final game of the season, losing 121-89 and dropping to 0-3 in their past three games against the spread.

If the Hornets are going to pull off an upset, they might need a miracle. The club is already without David West, who shredded his knee a few weeks ago. West was unquestionably New Orleans’ second-best player this season, and at times he might have been the best. Now Chris Paul must carry the team on his back. That’s not very inspiring considering Paul has scored seven, zero, 15 and seven points in his past four games.

To make matters worse, New Orleans was swept 4-0 by the Lakers this season. Los Angeles went 3-1 against the spread.

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