Game Two: Los Angeles vs Houston

Game Two

The Rockets won game one and lead the series 1-0.

First Quarter

The Rockets are 5-0 when leading after the first quarter, and 0-2 when trailing after the first quarter.

• The Lakers win the tip, good player movement to start of the game, hand off from Gasol to Fisher on perimeter, he drives right, pull up J from 18 feet at the top of the key, hits it
• Gasol drops a fadeaway over Yao off the left block, good D by Yao on the possession. Lakers lead 6-2 after 90 seconds. Odom picks up the loose ball, turns it right back over, Houston pass it low and get a layup.
• Kobe Bryant bags his second shot, a pull up J off the dribble from the top of the key, excellent contest from Battier
• Scola drops the jumper from 18 feet out on the right elbow extended
• Pau Gasol taps the defensive rebound, Artest goes for it, Gasol takes it, dribbles ahead, runs the break, nice bounce pass to Ariza, slam dunk! Gasol does a great job when leading the fastbreak.

Doug Collins — Lakers already doing a better job. More active defensively. Sharing the ball. More movement offensively — couldn’t agree more.

• Scola posts up Odom, slithers across the lane, and hits the lay in.
• Steal Fisher, fastbreak LA again, Fisher passes ahead, right wing to the trailing Odom at the FT line, touch pass to Gasol on the left block, slam dunk!
• Gasol rips down the defensive rebound, ahead to Kobe, and Bryant drills his fourth shot of the night — 4-5 from the field, 3 long J’s and a running layup over Yao.

The Lakers lead 16-8 with 7 minutes to play in the first

• Artest knocks down a three pointer against the shot clock after Ariza stumbles.
• Oh my, Kobe with another jump shot, that’s 10 points in the first 6 minutes of the quarter.
• Battier hits a three pointer on the nice inside-outside action, good passing by Yao Ming.
• Turnover Rockets, fastbreak, pass by Fisher to the left wing to Odom, he dribbles inside and throws a lob to Gasol, slam dunk! 7 consecutive shots made by LA!
• Scola hits a wide open 18 footer, from the same spot as before.
• Ariza knocks down a three pointer out of the left corner.
• Kobe Bryant dribbles upcourt and nails a three pointer on the quick push.

The Lakers lead 29-16 with under four minutes remaining in the quarter

• The Rockets turn the ball over again, offensive foul this time.
• Lakers baseline inbounds to Gasol on the left elbow, he fakes the shot a couple of times, drives right, spins left, easy dunk.
• Scola with another nifty move across the paint, off the left block, and finishing with a lay in.
• Von Wafer one dribble pull up J from the top of the key over Gasol, hits it!
• Pau Gasol was just too long for the Rockets big men on that offensive rebound, he taps it home.
• Kobe Bryant hits a jumper at the buzzer to end the first half

Second Quarter

The Lakers lead 39-25

The Rockets make their run — two Landry FTs, a Landry layup, two Von Wafer jump shots (one three), and a long Brooks two pointer — that closes the gap to just six points. The Lakers lead 43-36.

• Bynum on the offensive glass, but his tip in rims out.
• Vujacic and Von Wafer get tied up, foul on Vujacic first.
• Houston win the jump ball, tapped ahead into the frontcourt, Lowry to the rim, layup, miss, nope blocked by Brown, Landry is there to dunk home the miss but the refs rule offensive goaltending.
• Bynum scores inside, but Landry answers back with an interior bucket of his own.
• Shannon Brown steps into a three pointer, nice kickout by Kobe, Brown hits it.
• Good contest by Bynum in the paint, Lowry misses the runner badly, rebound LA.
• Great job by Shannon Brown to get his hands on the ball as Landry streaked down court, ahead of everyone, for a breakaway dunk.

Timeout Houston — Lakers lead 48-39 — Rockets running out of steam over last 60-90 seconds.

• Chuck Hayes gets a basket — 17-7 bench scoring lead for Houston, that has helped them work there way back into the game
• Artest bags a three pointer to cut the lead to three points.

Lakers lead 48-45 with four and a half minutes to play

Sorry had to skip out there, missed the end of the first half.

Halftime

The game is tied 57-57 — The Rockets were down 14 at the end of the first quarter, great comeback.

The Rockets got 17 first half points from Artest and 16 from Landry. Von Wafer and Scola combined for another 15 points. That is 48 of their 57 points between those four players.

The Lakers up 19-17 on the backboards. They were led by 20 poitns from Kobe, and 16 points from Gasol. Nobody else had more than 6 points. Th rest of the squad, outside of Kobe + Gasol, is 8-22 from the field.

Third Quarter

• Defensive rebound pulled down by Ariza … Fisher nails a three pointer from the left wing on the other end.
• Ariza blocks Scola’s 18 foot jumper from behind, fastbreak, nice pass to Gasol, fouled on the floor.
• Baseline inbounds to Kobe, he pops off a face up J from 18 feet on the baseline, hits it.
• Kobe fouled on a jumper, he was on the right wing, drove left, two or three dribbles to the FT line, drains it plus the foul! He misses the free throw. Nice break by Brooks to get an easy layup in transition after the miss.
• Pau Gasol hits the jumper from 16 feet … Yao standing off of him because of Gasol’s quickness.
• Kobe Bryant hits another jumper with the defender in his face

8 minutes to play — Lakers lead 69-62

• Kobe pushing the ball upcourt, he’s out on the right wing, finds a trailing Lamar Odom coming down the lane, slam dunk over Yao, no foul.
• Artest dancing with the ball, shot clock ticking down, Odom is on him on a switch and is all over him, step back J, nails it. Wow!
• Kobe Bryant hits another contested jumpshot. That’s 28 points.
• Offensive reound in traffic by Ariza, putback, good!

77-67 Lakers lead with less than 6 minutes left in the third.

• Offensive rebound by Scola after the miss, he passes it out, posts up, gets it back, backs his man down, turns middle, jump hook, hits it. That’s 10 points but it took 12 shots to get there.
• Lamar Odom comes from the weakside to reject Scola’s four footer on the right block, he hits it out of bounds. Defensive rebound Odom after the miss on the inbounds.
• Fisher gets the ball with the shot clock ticking down, he has to force a shot, dribbles it a bit, contested J from 18 feet top of the key, miss
• Nice ball movement from Houston, Ron Artest left wide open on the left wing, he drains the three. Sorry, that was a two, foot on the line.

Timeout Lakers — 79-71 Lakers

• Lamar Odom, isolation, top of the key, he drive right, misses the runner
• Nice ball movement from Houston, a drive and kick out of the middle of the paint, ball swung to the top of the key, Brooks nails a 3!
• Fisher blocks Brooks on a triple out of the left corner, 24 second violation
• Kobe Bryant gets a high screen and roll, Hayes sticks with him, Bryant working hard, trying to get to the paint, Battier pulls him back.
• Chuck Hayes gives up a bad foul, he was closing out on Fisher’s three out of the corner and fouled him on the shot attempt. Sloppy.

Final minute — Lakers lead 84-74

• Three technicals are called after a few players share words.
• Houston lead 34-24 on the backboards —  most coming in the second quarter.

Fisher smacks into Scola. Scola was coming up top to set a high screen, Fisher saw him, Fisher turned back, put up his arm and rammed it into his chest! He knocked Scola to the ground. That’s at least a flagrant and probably should be a flagrant two. Dumb play by Fisher — Doug Collins had been praising Fisher for the tough foul to let the opposition know you’re there. Scola makes both and Houston get the ball, potential 6 point swing? and no Fisher in the fourth? Nice coup for Houston.

13 seconds to play, Houston ball off that flagrant two, Lowry has it up top, high screen and roll, into the paint, awful pass to Scola, turnover … double dribble by Sasha as he tries to dribble upcourt, turnover … inbounds with 1.4 seconds to play, Lowry bricks a long three.

Fourth Quarter

Lakers lead 86-77

Jordan Farmar gets his number called with Fisher out.

• Alley oop to Bynum, missed.
• Nice drive by Lowry, passes back to a cutting Landry, slam dunk. Bynum did not help, Collins thinks he’s been ordered not to, because he didn’t want to leave Yao Ming open.
• Rockets bench has outscored LA 27-9
• Houston draws a couple of early fouls. Two team fouls on LA.
• Artest misses a fadeaway from the corner at the shot clock buzzer, Yao Ming on the offensive glass, tips it in. Five point game.
• Bynum picks up a loose ball foul — three team fouls on LA after only two minutes
• Farmar dives on the Brooks’ loose dribble, passes ahead, Walton layup. Lakers lead 15-2 on fastbreak points.
• Houston turn it over again, third straight turnover, fastbreak Lakers, Lamar leads the break, passes to Farmar, dunk.

Timeout Houston — 82-71 Lakers lead with 9 minutes to play. Wasted opportunity from Houston.

Terrible incident — Von Wafer lost his head on the bench and started yelling at Adelman, Adelman sent him to the locker room. Von Wafer has showered already and is about to leave. Very bad sign.

• The Lakers just picked up their fourth team foul, make that five. Yao hits one of two FTs. Offensive rebound Lowry, Bynum fouls Yao off the ball, Yao takes two more, makes both. Eight point game.
• Houston gone small — Yao at center, then Ron Artest, Battier, Lowry and Brooks.
• Defensive rebound by Lowry in a crowd, he rips it away from reaching Lakers hands.
• Brooks dribbles around the right wing, drives hard right to the rim, gets a good look on a layup, misses
• Kobe Bryant sends a 20 foot jumper long, misses
• Lowry picks up an offensive foul, charge. Good job by Farmar on his defensive rotation.
• Luke Walton hits the baseline jump shot over Yao. Lakers lead 18-11 on points off turnovers
• Yao posting up Gasol, turnaround J, misses

7 minutes to play — Tie Game 94-84

Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant having words. Ron said Kobe hit him in his throat … he reacts badly, refs eject him. Replay = Kobe sent an elbow into Artest’s throat. Ron went over had words, Kobe said get outta here and put his hands up in the air, waited for the refs to clean up the scene.

• Pau Gasol taps in Walton’s missed jumper. He has 22 points and 13 rebounds in 31 minutes.
• Foul off the ball on LA, two FTs for Yao Ming, Yao makes both. That’s the first personal for Pau, nobody has more than 3 fouls for LA.
• Yao Ming has four fouls, he’s the only Rockets player in foul trouble.
• Foul off the ball again, on Yao. Sideline inbounds, Kobe catches it on the left elbow, fadeaway J, hits it …. tech on Kobe for taunting Battier after that shot. That was Yao’s fifth foul a moment ago. Houston make the tech.

Lakers lead 99-87 with 6 minutes left to play — Houston need some baskets

• Aaron Brooks dribbles into a three pointer and hits it. Nice shot.
• Shannon Brwon and Jordan Farmar are in the game together, along with Kobe and Walton. Odd lineup, Pau at center.
• Farmar misses, Landry rebounds, terrible outlet pass, stolen by Walton, Walton passes to Farmar, misses a layup, rebound Landry, he makes a decent pass this time.
• Yao Ming posts up on the left block, tries to pass out of the double team, deflected pass, Kobe Bryant on the break, one-on-one, to the rim, layup plus the foul, three point play.

Lakers lead 102-90 with under five minutes to play

• Kobe Bryant passed to himself off the backcourt, he didn’t have the shot, so he hit off the glass from the elbow, ran to the rim, caught the rebound and laid the ball into the rim in one motion.
• 14 point lead with 3:30 to play
• Yao Ming posts up inside, short jump hook. Nice low post position to get that easy basket.
• Jordan Farmar hits a long three, two steps behind the arc, to put LA up 15 points.
• Gasol knocks the ball away, Brown picks up the loose ball. LA milks the clock.
• Brooks dribbles up court and nails a three on the left wing
• Kobe misses … Brooks misses a three

Final two minutes — Houston down 12, this is pretty much over.

• Yao Ming just got elbowed in the jaw by Yao Ming when both went for the rebound.

This is over — final minute, Rockets down 14 after a Brown layup.