Houston at Los Angeles

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  • Game info: 10:30 pm EDT Tue May 12, 2009
  • TV: TNT

By BERNIE WILSON, AP Sports Writer May 11, 9:13 pm EDT

Preview | Box Score | Recap | Series Breakdown
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LOS ANGELES (AP)—The Los Angeles Lakers are grumpy for letting a big chance get away from them in Texas.

The Houston Rockets are loose and having a good time, even if they don’t have Yao Ming(notes).

Come Tuesday night, one of them is going to have a 3-2 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series.

The top-seeded Lakers no doubt figured that they would have a chance to close out the Rockets in Game 5 at Staples Center. But that was before the Rockets embarrassed Los Angeles 99-87 on Sunday, tying the series and picking up their pace a day after finding out that the 7-foot-6 Yao had a stress fracture in his left foot.

“Yeah, we had a great opportunity,” Los Angeles’ Kobe Bryant(notes) said. “I’ve been on teams who have made this dumb mistake before. It’s important for my guys to stay up and get ready to play and understand that come Tuesday we’re going to face a really hungry Rockets team that believes they can win this series.”

The series is guaranteed to go back to Houston for Game 6 on Thursday night.

“We could’ve had a huge advantage, put ourselves in a great position to finish the series off tomorrow, but we didn’t and we own up to it,” center Pau Gasol(notes) said. “That’s why we’re going to come out tomorrow and show what we’re made of.”

The Lakers could be without forward Lamar Odom(notes). He was listed as questionable for Tuesday night’s game after an MRI and CT scan showed he has a bruised lower back. He was hurt Sunday when he drove into the lane and collided with Shane Battier(notes), landing hard on the court.

The Rockets would love to be the ones going back to Houston with the series lead.

They were in a good mood after watching film following their arrival in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.

“We have a free mentality,” said Battier, who outplayed Bryant in Sunday’s wipeout. “Every shot that everyone takes is a free shot. If it goes in, great. If not, we tried. We have nothing to lose. No one expected much out of us. We expect an effort out of us, but we’re going to take our shots, play hard and take our chances.”

The Rockets are in the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1997. The Lakers are trying to get back to the NBA finals a year after losing to Boston in six games.

Bryant said the Lakers’ mood Monday was “grumpy, a little quiet,” but that they will just have to deal with the disappointment of the wire-to-wire rout, when the smaller Rockets’ lineup took advantage of Los Angeles’ defensive lapses.

“You can’t get it back. You’ve just got to move forward and get ready for the next one,” he said.

The Rockets stunned the Lakers—and most everyone else—by racing to a 29-16 lead in the first quarter. They never trailed and led by as many as 29 points before the Lakers at least made it look respectable toward the end.

“We didn’t understand the type of energy Houston was going to come with,” Bryant said. “We didn’t have that type of energy.”

It wasn’t a case of the Lakers taking the Rockets lightly without Yao, Bryant said.

“Naw, man they just kicked our (rear),” he said.

The Lakers say they need to have the kind of energy the Rockets had Sunday.

“If we want to be a championship team we have to go after it every single game,” Gasol said. “We can’t take for granted that because we’re better individually or maybe collectively that we can play 70, 80 percent. We have to play 100 percent from the get go.”

Gasol said the Lakers were “outhustled and outplayed and we could have won if we really wanted to.”

They didn’t, but the Rockets know what the Lakers are capable of.

The Lakers seemed to be in control of the series after Bryant scored 33 in a 108-94 victory on Friday night.

Outscoring Bryant 23-15 on Sunday is going to be a nice little memory for Battier.

“It’s not going to happen too often. So this box score may be framed in my house somewhere,” he said. “He’s going to come back with a vengeance in Game 5.”

Guard Aaron Brooks(notes) scored a career-high 34 points in Game 4, and the Rockets were still talking about their point guard on Monday.

“Maybe it’s a bowlegged thing, a knock-kneed, pigeon-toed thing, but boy, they can’t keep up with him,” said bulky 6-6 forward Chuck Hayes(notes), who started for Yao on Sunday. “He uses his speed to his advantage to get to the paint. For such a little guy, he finishes pretty well.”

AP Sports Writer Chris Duncan in Houston contributed to this report.

Updated May 11, 9:13 pm EDT
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Team Comparison

Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Houston 53-29 2nd Southwest / 5th West 98.4 94.4 Road 20-21 Lost 1 6-4
Los Angeles 65-17 1st Pacific / 1st West 106.9 99.3 Home 36-5 Won 2 7-3

Notes

C Yao Ming scored 23 points on Wednesday, but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. ... The Rockets were outscored, 30-14, in the final frame. ... G Kyle Lowry chipped in 15 points off the bench.

Apr 15, 11:31 pm EDT

Lakers coach Phil Jackson is breaking with his playoff tradition of wearing the most recent championship ring from his collection of nine NBA titles. "I'm tired of wearing that ring," he said about his 2002 bauble. "I've been wearing it for seven years now." ... G Jordan Farmar played despite tendinitis in his right pinky toe.

Apr 19, 10:25 pm EDT
NBA

481 Comments

Post a Comment
  1. Joemerando
    481. Posted by Joemerando Mon May 18 5:33am EDT

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    kobe versus king james......i like to see the real younger recorded as be the FLYING WINGS on a basket era...see u guys on the final ball match..
  2. Kevin S
    480. Posted by Kevin S Fri May 15 4:37pm EDT

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    The rockets will win game 7 in la............mark my words.
  3. Arnold
    479. Posted by Arnold Fri May 15 8:21am EDT

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    wow!!!! ang galing mo aaron brooks kahit maliit ka kayamong lumipad... Idol maganda nyan ipagpatuloy mo ... higitan mo na c kobee.
  4. G smacktalk
    478. Posted by G smacktalk Thu May 14 5:10pm EDT

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    Hey ese, I hope the LAkers win Holmes!!! Lakers all the way. My friend junior says they will win.
    Lakers win fool!
  5. G smacktalk
    477. Posted by G smacktalk Thu May 14 5:09pm EDT

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    I hope the Rockets win so that all the ese's are cryin. Smile now, cry later vato!
  6. G smacktalk
    476. Posted by G smacktalk Thu May 14 5:08pm EDT

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    I used to Like the Lakers, then What I saw was certain people liked them because certain people of a certain ethnic group liked them. So they all started liking them to feel part of something instead of being real and liking a team because you actually like them. These same fans also like the Dodgers and Raiders. I'm just saying. Don't get mad and don't hate. Just saying without profanity and prejudice.
    Lakers have no heart and they are not exciting to watch. Houston should bury them and soon.
  7. dhoang
    475. Posted by dhoang Thu May 14 1:23am EDT

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    "Lakers Are Goin All The Way Kobe 4th Ring And He Should Have Been MVP Lebron Just Plays For Stats And The Last 3 Years Lebron Been In The Leauge Kobe Already Won 3Rings So Hes Nowhere Better That Kobe"

    Kobe 4th Ring, but who got the Finals MVPs for his other three? Shaq. LeBron leads a team of average players while Kobe has all-stars and champions to work with. Come on now. LeBron Kobe. And I believe Kobe "won" (with Shaq) those three rings before LBJ entered the league. Nice try.
  8. MARQUISE
    474. Posted by MARQUISE Thu May 14 1:03am EDT

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    Lakers Are Goin All The Way Kobe 4th Ring And He Should Have Been MVP Lebron Just Plays For Stats And The Last 3 Years Lebron Been In The Leauge Kobe Already Won 3Rings So Hes Nowhere Better That Kobe
  9. Nightwolf
    473. Posted by Nightwolf Wed May 13 10:52pm EDT

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    Yo LAKERS go hard especially FISHER and BRYANT
  10. gboy
    472. Posted by gboy Wed May 13 10:43pm EDT

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    hey tsunami be careful of what youre saying....rockets havent won with lakers this season...rockets won only when playoffs came......pffff
  11. ttgrl30
    471. Posted by ttgrl30 Wed May 13 10:33pm EDT

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    WOODY YOU ARE A HATER AND YOU SUCK FOR YOUR COMMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!
    You are a HATER in a major way
  12. tsunami23
    470. Posted by tsunami23 Wed May 13 9:56pm EDT

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    I don't understand the Laker arrogance.

    Boston owns you all time.

    have not won since shaq left town.

    Got demolished last years finals.

    struggling in the playoffs.

    keep up the pep talk it's working...lmao
  13. jamaica
    469. Posted by jamaica Wed May 13 9:25pm EDT

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    wAaahh!!...

    anG gAlinG tlgA ni kObe bryAnT..

    astig!.

    PaTI Nah RIN C LeBRoN JAMES...


    wAlanG mAkAkatalo sKnlA!..

    AhhhOooo..!!!!!!!!!
  14. Ricardo C
    468. Posted by Ricardo C Wed May 13 7:39pm EDT

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    So the next victim will be the Nuggets. Sure, they are very talented, but not much experience at all. Carmelo and K-mart just want to start their vacation and spark up their bong. Lakers in 6!!
  15. <i>rubdog_sal</i>
    467. Posted by rubdog_sal Wed May 13 7:17pm EDT

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    nuggets will get by dallas BUT u got a giant awaiting u theLAKERS will swept melo and co. the rockets woke up a monster. LAKERS GO L.A
  16. monk8
    466. Posted by monk8 Wed May 13 7:04pm EDT

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    lakers in 6, denvers gonna get swept
  17. rhans07
    465. Posted by rhans07 Wed May 13 6:57pm EDT

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    @DAVID C

    in denver-LA series, if what you saw last night is the indication of what the nugs will meet, then the nugs is in deep trouble. however, i'll give you the benefit of the doubt since them Lakers has yet to show their true colors and eradicate their inconsistencies. if they really poses a threat in the next two series to come, that remains to be seen, whewww. but on a night-to-night basis, them lakers are just playing of what the situation is being laid into them. that is, this is what I hate about them, if being pushed that's the only time they'll retaliate, and retaliate that hard. good thing for the next series though, they have homecourt advantage. so, i still give them the edge over den...
  18. JohnnyBlue
    464. Posted by JohnnyBlue Wed May 13 6:45pm EDT

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    Nuggs in 6. Lackers have no heart. Nuggs are too athletic, to explosive. Kobe will get his but all others will struggle. Nuggs bench will be the difference.
  19. Dude!
    463. Posted by Dude! Wed May 13 6:44pm EDT

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    The refs really sucked all of the games. Always calling fouls on the Lakers and not on the Rockets. I saw Artest take 4 steps for a layup. No call on that!
  20. rhans07
    462. Posted by rhans07 Wed May 13 6:41pm EDT

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    come on guys, nobody expected the houston rockets to win anyway, right? nevermind these houston fans or anti-Lakers or them haters or unbelievers, they are just hopefuls and proud enough that this series goes a distance in adverse to what they have expected. The rox make the Lakers work for their hearts out and motivated them to not treating every single game easily(unlike their 40-pt blowout tonight). Thank them rox for showing them Lakers the initial reason why they will land in the promise land, the NBA Finals. Thank them rox for waking up Lakers this early that they still need nine (9) more games and not to be complacent or lackluster in their outings in order to be glorified with their claim of being champions. I for myself don't admire their inconsistencies, but it is just I think is their mentality, yet, for them Lakers. So this series serves as an eye-opener for them, if they really wanted to go all the way! And I know they'll be there. But first, focus on Denver...
  21. tsunami23
    461. Posted by tsunami23 Wed May 13 6:29pm EDT

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    Can't take nights off like L.a tends to do. they have the talent and desire. the question is can they do it on the court constistantly.

    That was really embarrassing to get blown in the finals.

    Nuggets and Cavs are hungry.
  22. <i>chuy963210</i>
    460. Posted by chuy963210 Wed May 13 6:23pm EDT

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    lakers fans relax,your supposed to beat a team that has dhl drivers on it.i mean no mutombo,mcgrady,and yao and your thrilled........
  23. dino
    459. Posted by dino Wed May 13 6:16pm EDT

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    go lakers
  24. craig24
    458. Posted by craig24 Wed May 13 6:09pm EDT

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    wow you over excited laker fans are wierd!
    im a laker fan myself but not like you people.we had a awesome game lastnight no doubt about it all of the starters where in double figures bynum got in the game and played well.but it makes me mad when the lakers PROVE how good they are and SHOW how there a great team but.. why cant we do that every game why do we need to loose to get a little heart from them sorry to sayy but if wanna go all the way we have to play like that EVERY game nuggets have swept by the Hornets and are going right threw the Mavs soo basically there the ones were gonna play.which means we need more from bynum and need to prove that we do have heart and dont need a dam lose to play that good.
  25. Wilbert J
    457. Posted by Wilbert J Wed May 13 6:07pm EDT

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    I have been a Lakers/sports fan all my life and I like to keep it real. I can't take nothing from Houston because they have played with a lot of heart. After game 4 my mouth was shut just like every other Laker fan. But really, is it just me or can anyone else see the main problem with this laker team is the coaching. Phil is so set in his stubborn ways that he has not changed his offense or defense for years. The Lakers offense and defense is so predictable thats why we lost to Boston last year in the Finals. #1 The Lakers have turn overs because of the triangle. That offense keeps the ball rotating through too many different player hands. Not every is a good passer or see the floor as good as your gaurds. #2 The big man, too many times get caught with the ball up top in that stupid offense. #3 - The defense is the worst. Why would you have your gaurds/fowards coming down into the paint to help a 7 footer gaurd a player who is 6-6 to 6-9, dosent make sense. But other teams know what the Lakers will do thats why the put in more spot up shooters because they already know the open shots will be there because Lakers run the SAME D over and over. #4 The stupid rotation needs to stop. In game 4 when your starters made a run at the end of the first quarter, cut the lead to 11 then Phil puts in Luke walton, Sasha, ect and take out Kobe and Gasol. Then he waits 5 1/2 mins let the lead go back up to 18 then he wants to put the starters back in. Phil its to late by then . This is the play offs. Your starters need to spend more time on the court. They are your horses. You don't see Lebron, Wade, Dirk, CP on a regular rotation. Kobe is the best shooting gaurd in the Lead and he needs to stay on the court, especially in close games. Phil wake up, you got out coach in last year finals.
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