The defending champion Lakers kick start what they hope will be another long playoff run today as they host the seventh seeded New Orleans Hornets. This afternoon's game one battle is scheduled to tip off at 3:30pm ET at the STAPLES Center; it will be broadcast live on ABC. NBA Playoff Picks have the Lakers listed listed as a -10 NBA Spreads favorite and the Over/Under set at 182.5.
Well, this certainly was not the matchup the New Orleans Hornets were hoping for, but their 46-36 record produced a 
seventh place finish in the Western Conference, relegating them to an opening round series with Los Angeles.
The Lakers, which nearly found themselves in possession of the three seed after losing five of their last seven games, went 4-0 against the Hornets in the regular season. Kobe Bryant and company won those four games by an average of 10.8 points per game, but the most lopsided meeting took place when the two squads collided at the STAPLES Center on March 27th.
Los Angeles won that contest 102-84 after Bryant dropped in 30 points on 11-of-25 shooting. The Lakers also controlled the paint as Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum combined for 36 points, 21 rebounds, and five blocked shots. Hornets star Chris Paul finished the night with 10 points (4-for-10) and nine assists while Emeka Okafor and Carl Landry both manufactured double-doubles.
For the Hornets, which have lost seven of their last eight against the Lakers, including five in a row at the STAPLES Center, this will mark their first postseason appearance since bowing out against the Nuggets in the first round of the 2009 playoffs.
Despite New Orleans' poor play against Los Angeles of late, Okafor, who will be participating in his first career playoff game this afternoon, seemed to think his team had a chance to pull off a series upset.
"It's like a fresh start," Okafor said. "You can think of those four games as warmups, because they don't really matter now. You have to play. Everybody's 0-0. Man up and match up."
Hornets vs Lakers Game 1 Odds 2011 NBA Playoff Picks:
New Orleans Hornets +10 (-110), Over 182.5 (-110), +500 (Moneyline)
Los Angeles Lakers -10 (-110), Under 182.5 (-110), -700 (Moneyline)
