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Lakers face familiar 1st-round jam vs. Hornets

The Columbian
Published: April 25, 2011, 12:00am

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers were in this same jam last spring, tied at 2 in their first-round playoff series against a young, hungry opponent.

Although the veteran Lakers coolly escaped that jam against Oklahoma City, their dilemma against the New Orleans Hornets isn’t quite the same.

For one thing, few players in recent playoff years have carved up the Lakers’ defense as thoroughly as Chris Paul is doing it in this series. For another, Kobe Bryant is limping on a sprained left ankle that might be a bit more serious than the countless injuries he has managed through in the past few seasons.

The two-time champions face a pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday night at Staples Center, hoping Pau Gasol will raise his game back to All-Star quality.

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