NBA Lines: Atlanta vs. LA Lakers

Now that the fun and games of All-Star weekend are over, it is time to get back to business. (AP Images)"]

Kobe Bryant and the league-best L.A. Lakers resume their quest for a championship tonight when they host the Atlanta Hawks.

The 9.5-point underdog Hawks aren’t talking about championships yet, but they’re in the mix for homecourt advantage in the East after winning five of their last seven before the break. Atlanta is six wins shy of its total from last season, when it took eventual champion Boston to seven games in a first-round playoff series.

The Lakers have shot 50.0 percent or better in each of their last five home games against the Hawks, going 4-1 in that stretch. Bryant and Pau Gasol scored 23 points apiece in Los Angeles’ 122-93 rout of Atlanta last time they played at Staples Center.

Joe Johnson is averaging 25.0 points and shooting 48.9 percent in his last seven games against Los Angeles.