Lakers roll past rockets to take lead

In the NBA playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets in game 3 to take a 2-games-to-1 lead in their second round Western Conference series.

KobeBryant(right)andSashaVujacicoftheLos
AngelesLakerscelebrateathree-pointshotatthe
endofthe3rdquarteragainsttheHoustonRockets
inGameThreeoftheWesternConferenceSemifinals
duringthe2009NBAPlayoffsatToyotaCenter,in
Houston,Texas.TheLakerswon108-94totakea2-1
serieslead.(AFP/GettyImages/RonaldMartinez)

Early in the first quarter, Kobe Bryant knocked down this jumper, putting Lakers ahead by 7.Lakers 11-4. In the second quarter, less than two minutes to go off, Yao Ming drew a right hand hook to tie the game. Rockets 26-26 Lakers.

Seconds before halftime, Yao tipped in a missed three pointer by Aaron Brooks, keeping Rockets in contention, Lakers 50-48 Rockets at half time. 3 seconds to go, Bryant nailed a long-range three pointer at the buzzer, up by 12, Lakers 74-62.

With 1 minute 30 seconds before end, Bryant beautiful drive-in, his lay-up missed, Lamar Odom dunked the rebound decisive score in the fourth quarter. Final Score: 108-94

Rockets outmuscle Lakers 100-92 in series opener

Yao Ming, who briefly left with a knee injury in the closing minutes, had 28 points and 10 rebounds, to lead the Houston Rockets to a physical 100-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

HoustonRocketscenterYaoMing,ofChina,right,blocks
ashotbyLosAngelesLakerscenterPauGasol,ofSpain,
inthesecondhalfduringGame1ofasecond-roundNBA
playoffseriesinLosAngeles,Monday,May4,2009.The
HoustonRocketswon100-92.(APPhoto/ChrisCarlson)

Ron Artest added 21 points and Aaron Brooks had 19 for the Rockets.

Kobe Bryant, who finished a distant second to LeBron James in NBA MVP voting announced earlier on Monday, scored 32 points, doing his best to keep the Lakers in the game despite missing practice on Sunday with a sore throat.

Houston forward Shane Battier needed four stitches to close a gash over his left eye late in the first quarter.

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Bryant absent from practice prior to Lakers vs. Rockets series

WASHINGTON, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Kobe Bryant stayed away from practice with a sore throat on Sunday, but set to be ready for their NBA playoff series opener against Houston on Monday.

LosAngelesLakers'KobeBryant,right,greetsmusicianSean
'Diddy'CombsbeforeGame5ofanNBAbasketballfirst-round
playoffseriesbetweentheLakersandtheUtahJazzinLos
Angeles,Monday,April27,2009.TheLakerswon107-96.
(APPhoto/ChrisCarlson)

The Lakers host the Rockets in game one of the Western Conference semi-final series.

"We know when it's game time he's going to come out and be ready to play no matter what's going on," Shannon Brown said. "It's definitely going to take more than a sore throat.

"He's got to be missing some limbs for him not to come out there and be ready to play the game."

The Lakers have had a week off since eliminating Utah in five games in the first round, while the Rockets defeated Portland in six games to reach the second round for the first time since 1997.

Los Angeles won all four regular-season games against the Rockets, with Bryant averaging 28.3 points.

Rockets coach Rick Adelman said it might not be possible to contain Bryant, but that Houston has to at least make him work for his points.

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Roy scores 42, Blazers defeat Rockets 107-104

In the NBA, the Houston Rockets faced the Portland Trail Blazers in game two of their playoff series, looking to increase a 1-game advantage.

LaMarcusAldridge(left)andBrandonRoyofthePortlandTrail
BlazersblockoutShaneBattieroftheHoustonRocketsatthe
RoseGardenArena,onApril21,inPortland,Oregon.TheBlazers
won107-103totiethebest-of-seven-series1-1.(AFP/NBAE/Getty
Images/SamForencich)

But Rockets suffered a bad break when Dikembe Mutombo went down in the first quarter with a knee injury.

Both teams started hot in a back-and-forth first quarter. A three-pointer from Ron Artest saw the Rockets take the lead 22-17. But Mutombo hurt his left knee trying for a rebound, and had to leave the court in an obvious blow to the Rockets, who trailed after the first, 28-26.

The same story continued to unfold in the second quarter, with both sides finding themselves neck and neck at 39 each. But then Brandon Roy hit a late layup to make it 53-51 at the break. He and LaMarcus Aldridge scored the Blazers' final 19 points of the half.

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Rockets center Mutombo: For me, basketball is over

HoustonRockets'DikembeMutomboliesonthefloorandisattended
toafterbeinginjuredinthefirsthalfofanNBAbasketball
playoffgameagainstthePortlandTrailBlazersinPortland,Ore.,
Tuesday,April21,2009.TheTrailBlazersdefeatedtheRockets
107-103.(APPhoto/RickBowmer)