Los Angeles, CA (My Sportsbook) - It will be a battle for Staples Center bragging rights when the Los Angeles Clippers square off with the Los Angeles Lakers tonight.

The Clippers will be the road team for tonight's contest. They have lost seven of their last nine games, most recently an 89-87 setback to the Atlanta Hawks. Andre Miller scored 18 points and handed nine assists in the victory. Elton Brand added 17 points and 11 rebounds to the losing effort.

Despite the loss, Clippers coach Alvin Gentry heaped praise on Brand for his consistent play.

"He's played the way he's played since he walked into the league," Gentry said. "I mean, you can mark down 14-20 points every night and 8-14 rebounds every night. That's what he does, and he's been pretty consistent night in and night out.

"The thing that I've told him is that he's got to look at Karl Malone's game and try to get to the point where he can consistently make shots, get out and run, and be able to post up and score in the low post."

The Clippers have faded out of postseason contention and have an 8-17 mark on the road this season. They are 11-21 within the Western Conference.

The Lakers have won four straight and 11 of their last 13 games. In their latest win, a 106-101 triumph over the Seattle SuperSonics, Kobe Bryant scored 41 points, and Shaquille O'Neal added 27 points and 17 rebounds to the victory.

Bryant equaled Michael Jordan's best streak of scoring at least 40 points in nine straight games. Jordan accomplished it during the 1986-87 season.

The only player with longer streaks of 40 or more is Wilt Chamberlain. The NBA's fourth-leading career scorer did so in 14 consecutive games twice in the 1961-62 season and in 10 straight the following season.

Los Angeles is currently the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoff picture, 1 1/2 games behind the sixth-seeded Utah Jazz.

The Lakers are 19-10 at home and have a 20-14 mark within the Western Conference.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson just underwent surgery to remove kidney stones. He is likely to miss the first game of his NBA coaching career tonight.

The Lakers captured the first two meetings with the Clippers this season. The Lakers are 20-2 against the Clippers since the start of the 1997-98 season. The Clippers are 1-6 as the road team in Staples Center.