Down and Yao-t: Ming Leaves Playoffs

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming will be out for the rest of the playoffs with a broken left foot. Yao left Friday night's game against the Lakers limping after posting a double-double. Exams revealed a hairline-fracture in the foot which will require 8-12 weeks of recovery. Yao has been the focal point of the Rockets' offense after Tracy McGrady went down with an injury. Ron Artest's flagrant-2 foul from Friday was downgraded to a flagrant-1 by the NBA. If any player collects four flagrant-foul points during the playoffs, they are automatically suspended for one game. Both Artest and Kobe Bryant have one point, and Derek Fisher has two.

Game 3: Five's For Fighting

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 108-94, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Lakers were without the services of Derek Fisher after his suspension, but made the most of his absence as all starting five Lakers scored in double-figures. LA held Houston to just .417 shooting from the field and forced 17 turnovers, compared to the Purple and Golds' six. The Rockets had 19 offensive rebounds, but could not outscore the Lakers in all four quarters. Kobe Bryant finished the game with 33 points, and Jordan Farmar had an impact in his first career start, getting 12 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and two steals. Lamar Odom added 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Trevor Ariza scored 13 points and grabbed 4 steals. Ron Artest led the Rockets with 25 points before leaving the game with a flagrant-2 foul in the final seconds of the fourth quarter after hitting Pau Gasol hard. Yao Ming added 19 points and 14 rebounds.

Game 1: Rockets Stun Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Houston Rockets 100-92, dropping the first game of the Western Conference semi-finals. The Lakers managed to shoot just .448 from the field, including a meager 2-for-18 from behind the arc. LA committed 26 fouls, and sent Houston to the line 29 times. The Purple and Gold only had 19 free-throw opportunities, and hit just 12 of them. Kobe Bryant scored 32 points and collected 8 rebounds, and Pau Gasol added 14 points and 13 rebounds. Yao Ming dominated with 28 points and 10 rebounds, and Ron Artest scored 21 points and threw in 7 assists. Aaron Brooks easily overcame his matchup with Derek Fisher to get 19 points. The Lakers lose their home-court advantage with the defeat.

Lakers Hit Sweet 60, Look for More

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 93-81, their 60th win of the season. It was the first time the Lakers hit the 60 win mark since the '99-'00 season. The win also came after Cleveland fell to Orlando, putting LA just one win back of the Cavs in the race for the best record in the NBA. Houston made 18 turnovers, and the Lakers held the Rockets to just 37 points in the second half. LA won despite shooting .395 from the field. Kobe Bryant had 20 points and 7 assists, and Pau Gasol led with 23 points in addition to 10 rebounds. Derek Fisher scored 15 points and grabbed 5 steals. DJ Mbenga led the bench with 8 points and 2 blocked shots. Yao Ming had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Ron Artest led Houston with 21 points. Luis Scola had 16 points and 9 rebounds.

Short-Handed Clips Can't Handle Rockets

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Houston Rockets 110-93, their 56th loss of the season. The Clippers were without Baron Davis or Marcus Camby, both dealing with health problems. Houston had a .524 shooting percentage, and out-rebounded LA 44-32. The Clips had only 8 turnovers, but went 4-for-12 from 3-point range. Eric Gordon led the Clippers with 17 points, and Chirs Kaman had 16. Zach Randolph and Al Thornton both scored 12, and Mike Taylor had 11 with 6 assists. Yao Ming led the Rockets with 21 points and 15 rebounds.

Lakers Outlast Houston

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 102-96, snapping their three-game road losing streak. The Lakers were without Lamar Odom, who was serving his one-game suspension for leaving the bench during Monday's loss in Portland. LA entered the second half trailing by 11 points, but out-scored Houston 62-45. The Rockets committed 23 turnovers, while the Lakers had only 12, 11 of which came in the first half. Kobe Bryant had 37 points and 6 assists, and Pau Gasol had 20 points. Josh Powell started for Odom, and had scored a season-high 17 points to go with 9 rebounds. Von Wafer came off the bench to lead the Rockets with 20 points, and Yao Ming had 16 points and 6 rebounds.

Lakers Push Past Problems Against Houston

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 105-100, improving to 31-6. The Lakers had a rough time containing the Rockets in the first half, surrendering a shooting percentage above 60%. Houston finished shooting 53%, while LA shot 50.6%. The Lakers committed only 7 turnovers, and outscored Houston 27-18 in the fourth quarter. Houston was without Ron Artest and Tracy McGrady, but other players picked up the slack. Yao Ming had 19 points with 17 rebounds, and Von Wafer scored 23 points, shooting 13-for-18, including 3-pointers. Carl Landry came off the bench and scored 21 points for the Rockets, a season-high. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, despite shooting 13-for-32 with 1 3-pointer. Lamar Odom returned, replacing Sasha Vujacic who did not travel to Texas due to back spasms. Odom had 10 points and 1 blocked shot off the bench. Vladimir Radmanovic scored 12 points and snagged 6 rebounds, and hit both of his 3-point attempts. Trevor Ariza came off the bench to score 14 points.

Clippers Have No Problem Against Houston

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Houston Rockets 95-82, their first time snagging back-to-back wins, and have won 3 of their last 4. The Clippers held Houston to just .356 shooting, with only 34 points in the second half. Zach Randolph led the Clips with 30 points and 13 rebounds, and Al Thornton scored 26 points. Baron Davis contributed with 13 points and 9 assists, as well as Marcus Camby, whose double-double gave LA 12 points and 13 boards. Yao Ming led the Rockets with 24 points and 13 rebounds.

Clippers Have Problem Vs. Houston

The Los Angeles Clippers suffered their seventh straight loss, this time to the Houston Rockets 103-96. LA made just 5 three-pointers, and had 11 turnovers that resulted in 12 points for Houston. Al Thornton led the Clips with 24 points, and Zach Randolph and Marcus Camby both had double-doubles, Randolph with 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Camby with 11 points and 11 boards. Yao Ming gave the Rockets 24 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 12-for-13, and Ron Artest had 19 points.

Lakers Rocket Past Houston

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 111-82, the team's first real test of the season. Houston was held to just 34 points in the second half after having led 32-16 in the first quarter. Kobe Bryant had 23 points, while Pau Gasol had 20 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks. For the Rockets, Aaron Brooks led the team with 20 points, while Yao Ming had 12 with 8 rebounds.