LAKERS TONIGHT

Opponent--Sacramento Kings.

Site--Forum.

Time--7:30.

TV--Fox Sports West.

Radio--KLAC (570), KWKW (1330).

Records--Lakers 23-9, Kings 13-19.

Record vs. Kings--2-0.

Laker update--Shaquille O’Neal was named the NBA’s player of the month for December after averaging 27.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, four assists and 3.36 blocks and shooting 52% in 14 games. He becomes the fourth Laker so honored, following Cedric Ceballos, Magic Johnson (six times) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (twice). It’s the fourth time O’Neal has been named. The Lakers have won eight in a row at home, their longest streak since the 1990-91 team recorded 15 consecutive victories. In all, the Lakers are 13-2 at the Forum.

King update--They haven’t won on the road in nearly a month, since Dec. 3 at Minneapolis. Struggles away from Arco Arena don’t become a real concern until the end of the month, because only three of the nine games after tonight are away from Arco Arena, and those are at Vancouver and San Antonio, teams still with single-digit victory totals, and Houston.