Editor's Note: How the West Can Be Won

I won't keep talking about how the Lakers need to win this Game 7 against the Rockets, or about how much it means for LA to come out strong or anything else like that. You already know that. Instead, I'll tell you how the Lakers must play in order to win:

1. Contain Brooks: Aaron Brooks may not be the best point-guard, but he is one of the fastest. And that exploits Derek Fisher's one weakness: he's slow. Fisher needs to be a bench-warmer for this game, and let Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar try to keep up with Brooks. Remember, with Fisher the Lakers are 2-3 in this series; without him they are 1-0.
2. Exploit the Froncourt: Luis Scola is not as good as his Game 6 performance led some to believe. He is Houston's only legitimate inside presence, which should mean easy pickings for Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom. They need to attack the basket, no matter what the score is.
3. Ariza Needs to Arize: Trevor Ariza has been a non-factor in this series, so much so that Phil Jackson won't put him in the game when the Lakers need stops. Ariza is the Lakers' best defender, and he can be deadly when he's on. The only problem is he's been off. Ariza needs to wake up and become a fierce threat.
4. Either Make It or Don't Try: The Lakers' three-point shooting has been consistent all season. Or at least in each individual game. Their early shooting is always an indicator of how they will do from behind the arc for the entire 48 minutes. If they're hitting their shots, then they should keep going. But if they're missing, they have to give up and attack the basket. They can't keep settling for jump-shots during the third quarter.
5. Bench-Warmers need to Light Fire: The bench became more critical after Yao Ming's departure left Houston short-handed. Luke Walton, Brown, Farmar, and Sasha Vujacic need to take advantage of the tired players on the court.

If the Lakers can follow these guidelines, they will find themselves struggling to keep up with Denver by next week.

UPDATE: Check, check, and check. The Lakers met all criteria, and are now in the Western Conference Finals.