Sports / Basketball |
Kobe helps Lakers rally, defeat Rockets(AP)Updated: 2006-12-16 16:17 LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant scored a season-high 53 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat the Houston Rockets 112-101 in double overtime Friday night. The Lakers trailed until the final 1 1/2 minutes of regulation, then squeaked out a back-and-forth first overtime before scoring the first nine points of the second OT to pull away. Bryant's 13th career game of 50 or more points came against Yao Ming, who led the Rockets with 35 points, 15 rebounds and a career-high eight blocked shots. Bryant made 14 of 16 free throws, added 10 rebounds and eight assists in the Lakers' first overtime game of the season. Smush Parker added 17 points for the Lakers, including two consecutive baskets on assists from Bryant that helped force the first overtime. Rafer Alston had 19 points and 10 assists for Houston, which was without Tracy McGrady for the third consecutive game because of back spasms. Bryant's first basket of the second overtime was a driving, one-handed dunk over Yao, then Parker hit a 3-pointer and the Lakers led 104-99. Bryant added three more points in the 9-0 spurt for a 108-99 lead before Alston scored Houston's lone basket in the final 5 minutes. The Rockets dissolved in misses and miscues trying to salvage a game they led by 21 points in the first half. Alston had two turnovers and Yao was scoreless as Bryant kept hitting right to the end of his game-high 54-minute performance. The teams traded baskets in the first five-minute overtime. Yao answered Bryant's running jumper with a short one of his own for a tie at 99 with 56 seconds left. Alston lost control of the ball in the backcourt, but regained it and got it upcourt to Yao, who missed a 14-footer with 2 seconds left. On the Lakers' final play, Luke Walton inbounded to Bryant, who also missed a 14-footer at the buzzer, forcing the second overtime. Tuesday night, the Lakers blew most of a 27-point lead before handing the Rockets their second home loss of the season, 102-94. As good as the Lakers were in the third quarter — outscoring Houston 25-13 to get within six — they were erratic in the fourth, getting close, then missing shots that would have put them in front. Houston went on a 9-0 run, including five in a row by Bonzi Wells, that boosted its lead to 13 points. The Lakers closed to 81-74 on a three-point play by Parker and Bryant's basket, then Bryant missed on two straight possessions. They trailed 81-78 before Kwame Brown missed three consecutive free throws and Yao ran off four in a row. Yao fouled Bryant, who made both for an 85-81 deficit with 3 minutes remaining. Bryant went to the line again, made both and fed Parker for a 3-pointer from the right corner that gave the Lakers their first lead, 86-85 with 1:34 remaining. Luther Head's reverse layup put the Rockets back in front before Bryant assisted on Parker's layup, then went to the line in place of Brown and hit a free throw for an 89-87 lead. Yao tied the game on a turnaround jumper with 28 seconds to go. Bryant missed a 15-footer from the right side with 4 seconds left. Brown fouled Head and Houston got the ball out of bounds. Shane Battier inbounded, but Alston turned the ball over and Brown stole it, putting up a desperation shot that missed at the buzzer to force the first overtime. Bryant scored 17 points in the second quarter, but he couldn't help the Lakers avoid season lows for points in a half (35) and field-goal percentage (34.2). They trailed 53-35 at the break. The Lakers scored a season-worst 10 points in the first quarter, when they committed nine turnovers and shot 20 percent. |
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