Los Angeles  - The Charlotte Bobcats beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, but it came with a price.

Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace was diagnosed with having 30-40 per cent of his left lung collapsed and a non-displaced fracture of the fifth rib following a CT-Scan at Centinela Hospital in Los Angeles, the team announced.

Wallace had a chest tube inserted into the lung to help restore it to functional capacity, but will remain in the hospital over the next 48 hours for observation. Additional information about his progress and a timetable for his return will be updated in the coming days ahead.

Wallace drove the lane for a layup, but was sent crashing to the floor from an elbow to the rib cage area by Lakers centre Andrew Bynum in the fourth quarter with 2:22 left to play in regulation of the Bobcats' 117-110 double overtime road win over the Lakers.

Writhing in pain for several minutes, Wallace was helped off the court and into the locker room by teammates. He received X-rays at Staples Centre arena that were inconclusive before being taken to the hospital. (dpa)