For the first time in a long time, the Lakers will have the lineup they were planning on when they signed Steve Nash and Dwight Howard. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol will return to the Lakers tonight, and they will be thrown right back into the starting lineup. The Lakers have been a different team in the second half and are comfortably over .500 -- since they're finally healthy, will they actually be a team to beat come playoff time? That is, if they make the playoffs, of course.

Metta World Peace will miss the next seven games as he serves a suspension for elbowing James Harden in Sunday's game against the Thunder. Is the punishment World Peace received a fair one?

What's your take on the seven-game suspension Metta World Peace received for elbowing James Harden?

•  
  52%
  Too lenient
•  
  13%
  Too harsh
•  
  35%
  Just right

(Total votes: 203,597)

• DJJorel: "As a Lakers fan, I think this is fair...but I wouldn't have been too mad at 10+....."
• devlondenson: "That's not nearly enough games. This dude is a habitual offender. He should have been suspended for the rest of the season and half of next season "
• gseyfer: "Stern knows they won't get through the first round, so 7 games is enough."
• legacyreaper32: "The Lakers should take care to ensure the first round lasts at least 6 games. Personally, I hope and can't wait for a Lakers vs. Thunders series. It should be an epic series!!"
• L_hop: "so it may not even impact a series against the thunder while the blow may impact harden for the entire playoffs? lame"
• Chute99: "Perfect just in time for the likely Lakers/Thunder series in the second round. Even more ratings for the series. Think the NBA had this in mind when they doled out the suspension?"



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Metta World Peace will miss the next seven games as he serves a suspension for elbowing James Harden in Sunday's game against the Thunder. Is playing without World Peace a big loss for the Lakers?

• legacyreaper32: "The Lakers should take care to ensure the first round lasts at least 6 games. Personally, I hope and can't wait for a Lakers vs. Thunders series. It should be an epic series!!""
• Yourteamsuck: "The Lakers won't play even play 7 more games "
• gseyfer: "Stern knows they won't get through the first round, so 7 games is enough."
• L_hop: "so it may not even impact a series against the thunder while the blow may impact harden for the entire playoffs? lame"
• krabs14 still strong: "Stern has made it clear ... that the NBA will punish so long as we don't stop teams we want to see in the finals from competing. ""
• Chute99: "Perfect just in time for the likely Lakers/Thunder series in the second round. Even more ratings for the series. Think the NBA had this in mind when they doled out the suspension?"



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Lost among the chaos that resulted from Metta World Peace's violent elbow of James Harden was the fact Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant are neck-and-neck for the scoring title -- they're within four hundredths of a point of one another with only three games left between the two of them. To put it lightly, this is pretty important to (at the very least) Kobe, and we can't imagine that he'll go at anything less than 100 percent in his last game against the Kings. That being said, Durant may be more concerned about Harden's availability, as he's day-to-day with a concussion from World Peace's strike.

Who will win the NBA's scoring title this season?

•  
  26%
  Kobe Bryant (27.86 PPG, one game remaining at Sacramento)
•  
  74%
  Kevin Durant (27.90 PPG, two games remaining vs. Sacramento, vs. Denver)

(Total votes: 68,592)

Who would you rather have taking the final shot in a game at this point in their careers?

•  
  67%
  Kobe Bryant
•  
  33%
  Kevin Durant

(Total votes: 9,724)

Which team would win on a neutral court in a seven-game playoff series?

•  
  32%
  Lakers
•  
  68%
  Thunder

(Total votes: 9,503)

Lakers forward Metta World Peace was ejected from Sunday's game after landing an elbow to the head of Thunder guard James Harden during a post-dunk celebration. Is receiving a flagrant foul 2 and being sent to the locker room early the appropriate punishment, or is a suspension warranted?

• AndrewOKC: "Ron artest should be suspended for the entire playoffs there is no place for that kinda stuff"
• turbobas: "He should be kicked out of the league for good. The second brawl he almost started"
• vangundyfan12: "Artest was just trying to fist pump. Calm down people. They just happen to do it sideways in LA."
• HuPerfection: "I'M A THUNDER FAN, BUT ARTEST DID NOT INTENTIONALLY HIT HARDEN. HARDEN FLOPPED. LET'S GET REAL."
• btrain1991: "Why was Harden getting all up on World Peace when jumping around? Not saying what he did is ok, but it just makes you wonder."
• EvolutionaryMokeski: "Been watching the Lakers my whole life, and that's the most embarassing moment since Van Exel pushed the ref over the scorer's table. What a cowardly move."



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3. Who has done the best image rehab?

He hit the championship-clinching shot against the Celtics, and now Ron Artest is planning on giving some or all of this salary next season to charity in support of mental health awareness. Has anyone done much image rehab than Ron Artest. Well, maybe that guy playing quarterback in Philadelphia. Who you got?

• "This guy has had charities for years. His program has put thousands of kids into college from when he started his fund in Sacramento. He has never made a big splash about it, but now he has the LA stage and what better way to get people to donate than using it to the maximum potential. Props to RonRon." -- SN commenter aggiedart

If Michelle Beadle is wearing the yellow jersey after two days of "SportsNation" TV, co-host Colin Cowherd is second by only tenths of a second.

The race is on to your answers about the the biggest stories of the day.

Check out the show topics, cast your votes and watch on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. ET!.

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Do teams like Utah have a fair shot at the BCS title game?
Complaints and congressional hearings abound for the college football postseason, but what about beefing up the schedule?

Would you rather watch LeBron dunking or being dunked on?
Let's go to the tape to see Xavier University sophomore Jordan Crawford dunking on LeBron James. Wait, maybe not. Nike reportedly confiscated the footage.

Would you donate $100 to your team's Roy Halladay fund?
There are plenty of pitching-hungry fans out there (just listen to the screaming by Mets followers). Time to break out the checkbooks.

Is second place a failure for Lance Armstrong?
It's obvious after the first few days of the Tour de France that Lance isn't conceding the race to teammate Alberto Contador or any other cyclist.

What is "SportsNation" TV and how do you make your voice heard on the broadcast? Read about the new ESPN show that features fan opinions with calls, tweets, polls, rankers and more.

At the end of the "SportsNation" TV show on Monday, Colin Cowherd told co-host Michelle Beadle the debut took so much energy he didn't know if he could do it again.

Guess who's back?

Check out the big stories of the day, cast your votes and watch on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. ET!.

If you had $900 million to spend, would you buy the Cubs?
The family of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts reportedly has a deal to buy the team and Wrigley from the Tribune Co. for $900 million.

Where will LeBron James play after 2009-10?
LeBron told Trevor Ariza he'd be in Cleveland after next season. Or he didn't. NBA free agency is a game of intrigue and rumors.

Awesome or weird?
What do you think of Ron Artest reportedly going to find Kobe Bryant in the shower to tell him he could help the Lakers?

Should the 76ers try to sign Allen Iverson?
A.I. averaged more than 30 points a game in four of his 10 full seasons in Philadelphia. His average has dropped, but he can still score.

Would you partake in the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona?
Thousands of people risk goring and trampling each year in Spain. Are you interested in a road trip?

And our final question ....
Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis carry a built-in rivalry to the lineup card that will be filled out by Joe Maddon, manager of the third AL East team of note.

What is "SportsNation" TV and how do you make your voice heard on the broadcast? Read about the new ESPN show that features fan opinions with calls, tweets, polls, rankers and more.