• Tweet

As is usually the case with the Los Angeles Lakers, when the chips are down, they go to their # 1 option – Kobe Bryant.  In Wednesday night’s game against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center, the Lakers went to the tried and true – they went to Bryant.  The method worked obviously as he exploded for 40 points as Los Angeles tied the quarterfinal series at 1-all, defeating Houston 111-98.

The officials got a workout – their whistles did, anyways – as the Lakers’ Derek Fisher and the Rockets’ Ron Artest got ejected while Bryant, Luke Walton, Lamar Odom, Artest and Luis Scola all received technical fouls in the second half.  Oh, there was a basketball game to make it interesting.

The Lakers were hot in the first quarter as they shot 73% in rushing to a 39-25 lead; Bryant had 15 points in the period while Pau Gasol added 13.  But the Houston bench brought a spark, led by Carl Landry’s 16 points as they erased their 14-point deficit; the Rockets got their first lead of the game at 49-48 on an Artest jumper which capped a 10-0 run.

Von Wafer would add five points while Chuck Hayes added a basket  as Houston led by four; however, Bryant drained a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left in the half, pulling Los Angeles into a tie at 57-all going into halftime.  The Lakers would manufacture a 16-4 run to take a 73-62 lead in the third quarter; they would also make 7 of 9 free throws and extend their lead 86-77 going into the final period.

Los Angeles opened the fourth quarter with a 13-9 spurt that pushed their lead to 99-86; however, the Rockets would narrow the gap to 99-90 on a trey by Aaron Brooks.  But Bryant would score five consecutive points and the Rockets could not get any closer.  Bryant led all Los Angeles scorers with 40 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal while Gasol added 22 with 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks; Odom, while scoring only 7 points, grabbed 11 rebounds.

Houston was led by Artest with 25 points (including four 3-pointers), 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals while Landry, from off the bench, added 21 with 10 rebounds; Yao secured a double-double as he chipped in 12 with 10 rebounds and 2 assists.  Los Angeles and Houston play again on Friday night at Toyota Center.