Slam Dunk Central

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It has taken 22 games over 48 days, but the Houston Rockets? winning streak is officially front page news. They achieved their 22nd consecutive win on Sunday in front of a national television audience by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 104-92 in front of a raucous home crowd.

Rafer Alston hit a career-high eight three pointers to score a career-high 31 points, 16 of which came in the first quarter, and provide the Rockets the spark to beat the Lakers. The teams were tied for first place atop the Western Conference heading into the game, but now the Rockets hold the top stop all by themselves.

The game started out close as the teams traded blows in the first quarter, despite Alston?s scoring burst. The Rockets separated from the Lakers in the second quarter as they turned a 30-29 lead with 8:37 left into a 59-44 halftime lead, spurred by 13 made free throws, including two technical shots.

Los Angeles came quickly out of the gates in the third quarter as a Derek Fisher three-pointer from the top of the key with 7:39 left capped a 10-0 Lakers run. The scoring largely subsided for a few minutes until Tracy McGrady finally scored his first points of the game on a short running jumper with 2:54 left, giving Houston a 64-60 lead. Alston made two more three pointers late in the quarter to open up the Houston lead to 71-66 heading into the fourth quarter.

While the game again remained close for the first half of the final quarter, Houston went on a 13-2 run, capped by a Bobby Jackson jumper with 2:24 left that gave the Rockets a 100-86 lead. The rest of the game was a formality as Houstonians reveled in the history of the 22-game winning streak, the second longest in NBA history.

Ironically, the Lakers have the longest streak, a 33-gamer in the ?71-?72 season.

Besides Alston, four other Rockets scored in double figures Houston, including Jackson, who had 19 points and six rebounds. Luis Scola scored 13 points and ripped 11 rebounds for the Rockets.

Kobe Bryant poured in 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a losing effort for the Lakers. Lamar Odom added 17 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles, which was without forward Pau Gasol due to a sprained ankle suffered in the prior game.