(Sports Network) - The Western Conference's top seed, the Los Angeles Lakers, conclude a season-long seven-game road trip Wednesday, hoping to get back on track against a desperate Milwaukee Bucks team.

After winning the first four games of their trip, the Lakers hit a snag in Atlanta and followed that up with another loss in Charlotte on Tuesday. Gerald Wallace poured in 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in that one as the Bobcats continued their recent domination over the LA with a 94-84 victory.

Kobe Bryant donated 25 points and Lamar Odom 20 for the Lakers, who fell to 27-11 as the visitor on the year. Pau Gasol had 16 points and 11 boards in the setback.

The Bobcats have won three straight and six of the past seven meetings with the Lakers, who have already locked-up home-court advantage for the Western Conference playoffs but are fading fast to do the same throughout the NBA Finals. Cleveland now has a three-game lead over LA for the NBA's best record.

The Bucks, meanwhile, are coming off an important win in New Jersey on Monday. Richard Jefferson put a damper on his old club's playoff hopes in that contest while helping his current squad stay afloat, scoring 29 points in Milwaukee's 107-78 rout of the Nets.

Jefferson finished off his double-double with 10 rebounds while Charlie Villanueva added 20 points, Joe Alexander 16 and Ramon Sessions filled the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks, who are 3 1/2 games behind Chicago for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East with just seven games to play.

Milwaukee, which snapped a five-game skid with its win against New Jersey, is 20-16 at the Bradley Center this year but has lost two straight to the Lakers and has dropped nine of its last 12 meetings against the Lakers at home.

LA, meanwhile, hasn't lost three straight games since November 21-25, 2007, a span that has now reached over 16 months.









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