Lakers 111, Celtics 98 - What happens when you piss off arguably the greatest basketball player on the planet? He scores 43 points to go with 8 rebounds and 8 assists. That's what happened with Kobe Bryant, who returned from a questionable one game suspension and helped bury Boston. Kobe's wrath couldn't have come at a worse time for the Celtics, who have lost 13 in a row and sit in the cellar of a division where even the first place team is sub-.500. The Lakers snapped their own three game skid. Fellow Angelinos on the Clippers can hand the Celtics a record 14th consecutive loss on Friday.

Clippers 110, Bulls 98 - Things are looking up in Clipper land. The team has won seven of their last eight, the last one featuring a commanding finish. The team has exorcised some demons by returning players from injury and pulling ahead of .500, but can they -- gasp -- win on the road? We'll know soon enough, as they play their next seven away from the friendly confines of the Staples Center.

Ducks 2, Coyotes 1 - Phoenix kept Anaheim off the scoreboard for 47 minutes, but quickly relinquished the lead on two goal in less than a minute and a half. Scott Niedermayer was out injured for a second game, adding to the Ducks injury woes. Oddly enough, they're second in the league for most players to skate in every game this season. The Ducks have nine ironmen, behind Tampa Bay's 10.

Elsewhere - Does LAist have a new favorite sports site? We think so ... America has been getting a lot of Japanese pitchers lately, but the new hot commodity is Chinese centers ... One week until college football signing day. Just a little pressure for 17 and 18 year old kids ... 1001 reasons why LA is better than Alabama starts now ... The Super Bowl hype is getting strange.

AP photo by Chitose Suzuki.