The Los Angeles Lakers expect guard Kobe Bryant and forward/center Pau Gasol to return to action tonight against the Washington Wizards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The Lakers entered the season with championship expectations after landing star center Dwight Howard in a massive four-team trade and signing point guard Steve Nash, but injuries and infighting threatened to torpedo their grand plans. Howard has battled shoulder and back injuries and Nash fractured his leg early in the year and missed 24 games. Gasol was ineffective in new coach Mike D'Antoni's offensive scheme until tearing his plantar fascia in an early-February game against the Brooklyn Nets and Bryant sprained his ankle last week after landing awkwardly on a defender's foot last week.

Tonight, however, the Lakers' big four is finally healthy and ready to mesh for what they hope will be a playoff run, after ESPN.com reported both Gasol and Bryant successfully completed a full practice on Thursday.

The 34-year-old Bryant has been the steadiest Laker this year, averaging 27.1 points, 5.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds a night this season. His 5.8 assists per game mark the second-highest total of his career; his highest is 6.0, which he registered way back in the 2004-2005 season.

Gasol is averaging 13.4 points per game, a full five-point drop from his career average. Gasol has been used further away from the basket this year, due to Howard constantly planting himself in the paint. Gasol's field goal percentage stands at 45 percent, which is six points lower than his career average of 51 percent. 

According to ESPN.com, if Gasol and Bryant do play, it will be the just the third time this season Bryant, Gasol, Howard, Nash, Metta World Peace and Steve Blake are active in the same game.

D'Antoni is excited to get his stars back, telling ESPN "I'm looking forward to it. That's the lineup. If we're going to do any damage, that's what has to happen "We have a month to get better and, in the meantime, win games. We put ourselves in this position, so we gotta do it."

The Lakers are currently clinging to a one and a half game lead over the Utah Jazz for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference playoffs.

Tags: lakers