The Lakers are on the second half of a back to back following a loss to the Knicks. Weren't we all concerned that after defeating the Nets, staying in New York City waiting around for the Knicks was going to be troublesome? That's exactly what happened. The Lakers defense was not the same, and the focus was not crisp. I expect all of that to turn around against a depleted Hornets team that is without LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward. The Lakers will get right tonight.

The Lakers have alternated wins and losses the past eight games, and I like that to continue tonight in Charlotte. The Hornets are without Gordon Hayward, P.J. Washington and Malik Monk, and leading scorer Terry Rozier is doubtful. Back LA to cover for the eighth straight time in Charlotte.

Assessing a team’s mentality in a back-to-back scenario can be tough in the latter stage of the regular season. The Lakers should come up with a refocused effort on Tuesday, a day after suffering a sloppy loss at New York in which they committed 24 turnovers. Look for a vindicating performance from Los Angeles, which will end its seven-game road trip with a win.

This will be a battle of attrition as the Lakers are in the second of a back-to-back and of course still without LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but Charlotte is without Gordon Hayward, LaMelo Ball, Malik Monk and PJ Washington -- with Terry Rozier listed as doubtful. I haven't done well picking teams in the 2nd of a B2B of late, but Charlotte is going to REALLY struggle to score.

The Hornets are 2-2 since Gordon Hayward (foot) went down, but their two wins came against an Oklahoma City team that is tanking hard down the stretch and Milwaukee, which rested its entire starting five. Those aren’t exactly two victories to be excited about. The Lakers have had plenty of issues of their own, but with Kyle Kuzma and Andre Drummond back from their respective injuries, their improved depth could help propel them on Tuesday.