Halftime Hype

Recently, the Lakers have benefited from a couple of key character-building victories. After a failed comeback the night before at Oklahoma City, the Lakers rallied back from a 15-point deficit for a victory at New Orleans on March 6. After the game, Bryant said: ''This is what it takes when you're playing for the playoffs and then when you're in the playoffs, fighting through games like this and it just shows our character. We had a tough one last night, we started out on a bad note tonight, but instead of giving up, we kept fighting until the end.'' The win was relatively dull compared to a 25-point comeback at home against the Toronto Raptors on March 8.

Tonight, though, will be the Lakers' greatest test of character yet. The Lakers are on the road against the Orlando Magic, Howard's former team (well, also Chris Duhon's, but there was no hype about his departure). Howard has already shared that the game will be emotional, a response which Bryant laughed off and retorted: “Save the emotional s— for when you retire.”

The game - and potentially the remainder of the Lakers' season and whether or not Howard resigns with L.A. - will hinge on how Howard's teammates support him. Will they be able to keep his spirits high and help him dominate? If he starts off poorly, how will Bryant respond? How will Nash keep Howard involved? These are all crucial, game-changing questions.