Andrew Bynum, meet Dwight Howard

The ever-improving Andrew Bynum goes up against a young, already-dominant center tonight when the Los Angeles Lakers play host to Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic.

Howard, who turns 22 next Saturday, was the top pick in the 2004 draft and has been a handful down low this season, averaging 23.8 points and 15 rebounds.

Some of his recent stat lines: 30 points and 23 rebounds against Phoenix; 39 points and 16 rebounds against Seattle; 34 points and 16 rebounds against San Antonio.

He has 81 dunks, more than twice as many as any other player in the league. At one point last week, he had more dunks than 25 of the 30 NBA teams.

Andrew Bynum, the 10th pick in the 2005 draft, is tied with Seattle forward Chris Wilcox with 34 dunks, second-most in the league. He's also averaging 10.9 points and 10.3 rebounds a game.

"He's a beast now, pretty much like the new Shaq," Andrew Bynum said of Howard. "If he gets anything by that restricted area [near the basket], you're in trouble."

"It's going to be tough for 'Drew," Los Angeles Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "We'll have to see how it works out."

Derek Fisher didn't want to say much, but it wasn't difficult to sense his disappointment.

Fisher was booed for most of Friday's game by Utah Jazz fans, who were irritated he asked out of his contract with the Jazz over the summer. Fisher wanted to move to a city where he could get top-notch medical care for his young daughter, who has a rare form of eye cancer.

The Jazz let Fisher out of his contract, and he signed a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

"I'm choosing not to really comment on the crowd reaction," said Fisher, who had three points on one-for-eight shooting. "I'll take a bow and I'll accept it, but that's about all the attention I want to give it, really."

Jackson was more direct in his disapproval.

"I don't understand that [reaction]," he said. "Of course, you have to take into account the patrons in Utah, the type of people you deal with. I think anything short of total loyalty there is looked at as a traitor. We thought he would get applause."

It isn't exactly a long-awaited reunion because it hasn't even been two weeks since Brian Cook and Maurice Evans were traded to Orlando, but they will be back at Staples Center tonight.

Cook and Evans were traded Nov. 20 to the Magic for Trevor Ariza.

Cook has averaged 3.0 points in seven minutes a game for the Magic. Evans is averaging 6.7 points in 19 minutes a game.

Ariza is averaging two points in five minutes a game for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Center Kwame Brown has started working out on his own and could begin practicing this week, although he said his sprained left ankle is still painful.

He did not know if he would go with the team for a two-game trip Tuesday in Minnesota and Wednesday in Denver.

Kwame Brown, averaging 4.3 points and five rebounds, has been out since Nov. 18 because of his ankle and a sprained left knee.

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