Up next for the Lakers: Tuesday night vs. Atlanta

By Ben Bolch

Feb. 14, 2012 12 AM PT

When: 7:30.

Where: Staples Center.

On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 710, 1330.

Records: Lakers 16-12, Hawks 18-10.

Record vs. Hawks (2010-11): 2-0.

Update: This is the start of a five-game trip for the Hawks, whose 9-5 road record is one of the best in the NBA. Though guard Joe Johnson averages a team-leading 18.2 points, many consider Atlanta’s best player to be well-rounded forward Josh Smith, who is averaging 15.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.1 blocks. Johnson made the All-Star team, but Smith was not selected by Eastern Conference coaches who picked the reserves.

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Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

Up next for the Lakers: Tuesday night vs. Atlanta

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