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Lakers bounce back to beat Rockets 118-78

The AP reports: Kobe Bryant needed only three quarters to score 26 points and the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back from their Game 4 flop, routing the Houston Rockets 118-78 on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinals. The top-seeded Lakers did everything they didn’t do in Sunday’s 99-87 loss at Houston—hustled, rebounded and played tight defense on Houston’s smaller lineup, keeping Aaron Brooks in check and limiting wide-open shots. On Sunday the Lakers trailed by 29 points. On Tuesday night, they had a 29-point lead by late in the second quarter, on a 3-pointer by Bryant, who led seven Lakers in double figures… Pau Gasol had 16 points and 13 rebounds, Andrew Bynum 14 points, Trevor Ariza 13 and Jordan Farmar 12. Lamar Odom and Josh Powell had 10 apiece. Brooks was held to 14 points after scoring a career-high 34 on Sunday. Ron Artest had a horrible night shooting, 4-of-15 for nine points. The Rockets shot only 32 percent.

Fan discussion of the game took place in this forum topic.

Rockets beat Lakers without Yao, even series

The AP reports: With Yao Ming out, the Houston Rockets had no chance to beat the Los Angeles Lakers. Right? Wrong. Aaron Brooks scored a career-high 34, Shane Battier sank five 3-pointers and added 23 and the Rockets beat the Lakers 99-87 on Sunday to even their Western Conference semifinal at two games apiece… Luis Scola had 11 points and 14 rebounds as the Rockets got exactly the team effort they needed after Yao broke his left foot in the Lakers’ win in Game 3… Pau Gasol scored 30 points and Kobe Bryant had a quiet 15 for Los Angeles… Houston led 54-36 at the break. The Lakers grabbed only two offensive rebounds and generated only four fast-break points in their lowest-scoring half of the season… The Rockets outscored Los Angeles 29-18 in the decisive third quarter, led by Brooks’ 17 points.

Yao Ming out injured for rest of NBA playoffs

Rockets center Yao Ming has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2009 NBA Playoffs after further diagnostic procedures conducted today revealed a small hairline fracture in his left foot. The finding is in addition to the earlier diagnosis of a left ankle sprain that he sustained during Friday night’s 108-94 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals playoff series. While no surgery is needed, the expected recovery timeline is between eight to 12 weeks.

“Yao Ming had an initial test taken in the early morning hours on Saturday following the game,” said Rockets Team Physician Dr. Tom Clanton. “The original diagnosis of the left ankle sprain was based on the results of that test. Further diagnostic procedures performed later in the day, revealed a hairline fracture on the top of his left foot. In order for the bone to heal properly, Yao will need to immobilize the foot by wearing a walking boot. No surgery is required and he should be able to resume his regular workout routine sometime between the next eight to 12 weeks.”

Fan discussion of the Yao Ming injury news is in this forum topic.

Ron Artest foul downgraded

The AP reports: Ron Artest will play in Game 4 of Houston’s Western Conference semifinal against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. The NBA ruled Saturday that Artest’s hard foul on Pau Gasol(notes) late in the Lakers’ 108-94 win on Friday did not merit a one-game suspension… League spokesman Tim Frank said Saturday the foul was downgraded to a flagrant one.

InsideHoops.com expected this would happen.

Fan discussion of the news is in this forum topic.

Lakers beat Rockets 108-94 to take 2-1 series lead

The AP reports: Kobe Bryant scored 33 points in the Lakers’ 108-94 victory in Game 3 on Friday night that gave them a 2-1 lead in the series… Lamar Odom had 16 points and 13 rebounds and reserve point guard Jordan Farmar had 12 points and seven assists in place of the suspended Derek Fisher, who was ejected from Game 2 for a hard hit on Luis Scola when he set a pick. Artest, who scored 25 points, was ejected for a flagrant foul on Pau Gasol in the final minute, the only carryover of the rough play that turned testy in Game 2.. Yao Ming added 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Rockets but he was bothered by a sore left foot in the final minutes and was limping as he left the court… The Rockets had a 56-43 edge in rebounding.

Rafer Alston, Derek Fisher suspended one game each; Kobe Bryant given a flagrant foul

Rafer Alston of the Orlando Magic and Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers have each been suspended one game without pay for their roles in separate incidents last night, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations Stu Jackson announced today.

Alston has been suspended for swinging and making contact with the head of Eddie House of the Boston Celtics with 48.6 seconds remaining in the third period of the Magic’s 112-94 loss to the Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals last night at TD Banknorth Garden.

Fisher has been suspended for striking Houston’s Luis Scola with his shoulder and head with 13.2 seconds remaining in the third period of the Lakers’ 111-98 win last night over the visiting Houston Rockets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals at STAPLES Center. Fisher received a Flagrant Foul Penalty Two and was ejected from the game at the time of the play.

Jackson also announced that the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant has been assessed a Flagrant Foul Penalty One for elbowing Houston’s Ron Artest in the chest area with 6:57 remaining in the fourth period of last night’s game.

Alston will serve his suspension on Friday when the Magic hosts the Celtics at Amway Arena. Fisher also will serve his suspension on Friday when the Lakers visit the Rockets at Toyota Center.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in the InsideHoops NBA forum.

Lakers beat Rockets 111-98 to even playoff series

The AP reports: Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, Pau Gasol added 22 points and 14 rebounds and Los Angeles won Game 2 111-98 on Wednesday night to even the Western Conference semifinal series… Ron Artest, one of two players ejected in the game, scored 25 points and Carl Landry added a career playoff-high 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who overcame a 14-point deficit in the first half only to trail most of the second half… Houston’s Yao Ming finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds after picking up three fouls in the first half… Emotions boiled over in the second half, with Derek Fisher of the Lakers and Artest getting ejected and technical fouls assessed to Bryant, Artest, Luis Scola, Luke Walton and Lamar Odom, who had 11 rebounds… Odom replaced C Andrew Bynum in the Lakers’ starting lineup. Bynum was scoreless with one rebound in 8 minutes.

Ron Artest ejected after elbows with Kobe Bryant

The Houston Rockets are visting the Los Angeles Lakers for Game 2 of their second round series. Late in the third quarter, Luis Scola and a few Lakers got into it, and Derek Fisher was ejected after slamming into Scola with 13 seconds left.

In the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant was trying to box Ron Artest out. Artest had his left hand resting on the back of Bryant’s neck, though it didn’t look like anything dirty. As the jostling continued, it was Artest’s upper arm doing it. As Bryant went up for the rebound, Kobe’s right elbow went up into Artest’s neck area. Not sure if it actually hit his neck or not, but it was definitely a high elbow.

A foul was called on Artest, and a furious Ron went right over to jaw in Kobe’s face.

Artest was moved away by referee Joe Crawford, but after a few more seconds of yelling and waving his elbow to show what he was mad about, Artest was ejected.

If any foul should have been called on Artest, it should have been for what I described above. Instead, Bryant elbowed Artest, and that’s when the foul was called on Ron.

As for the ejection, I don’t think Artest needed to be thrown out. A technical foul would have been enough.

Derek Fisher elbows Luis Scola, is ejected

derek fisher elbows luis scola and is ejected

The Houston Rockets are visting the Los Angeles Lakers for Game 2 of their second round series. And things got touchy late in the third quarter, with hostility exchanged between Rockets forward Luis Scola and several Lakers.

With 13.2 seconds left in the third, Derek Fisher set a screen against Scola, but in the process of doing so, slammed into Scola and elbowing him hard.

Referees watched the replay and gave Fisher a flagrant-2 foul, which results in an ejection.

Fisher clearly deserved to be tossed. And don’t be surprised if he’s suspended for Game 3.

Rockets outmuscle Lakers 100-92 in series opener

The AP reports: Although the Rockets absorbed some hits and shed the most blood, they outmuscled the Los Angeles Lakers 100-92 in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday night. Yao had 28 points and 10 rebounds, Ron Artest added 21 points and Aaron Brooks had 19 for the Rockets, who are in the second round for the first time since 1997… Bryant, who finished a distant second to LeBron James in NBA MVP voting announced earlier Monday, scored 32 points, doing his best to keep the Lakers in the game despite missing practice on Sunday with a sore throat. He scored 22 of the Lakers’ final 42 points.

Live fan discussion of this game took place in this forum topic.