- LA shot 19-42 in the first half (45.2%); Houston 13-40 (32.5%).  This bigger number was on the boards with LA up 31-19.  The Rockets have struggled to hit from outside (1-9 from three).

- Fourth on Battier, four minutes into the second half.  Lakers still up big (58-37)

- Zoning out slightly.  It's been a long series. 

- Big game from Bynum not BOTH ends.

- Brooks is heating up from outside, LA has a 19-point cushion with three minutes to go in the third.

- Bynum gets a big cheer from the crowd when he sits late in the third.

- Kobe gets his fourth foul with 35.5 seconds left in the third, Lakers leading by 19.

- After three, Lakers 69 - Rockets 50.

- Shannon Brown gets his first minutes 23 seconds into the fourth.  He hits a short shot-put jumper on his first attempt.

- Gasol taking it to Scola, Lakers establish enough breathing room with 6:45 left - up 26.  Leave Kobe, etc on the bench Phil . . .

- For some reason Jackson puts Bryant back in the game with 4:07 left, LA up 84-58.  Hey, I'm not coaching . . .

- Gasol sits with a game-high 21 points on 10-19 shooting.  He pulled down 18 boards (six offensive), blocked three shots and had a +/- of 20 points.  The crowd gives him a nice applause as the series winds down.

- More to come after the game but the Lakers will close out the series against the Houston Rocket 4-3.  The Rockets were impressive in the face of tremendous adversity.  LA will start the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday against the Denver Nuggets.

- Bryant has just four made field goals for 14 points (with 2:40 left).  His three steals and two blocks were more significant - Lakers won by playing well defensively. 

- LA also relied on their bigs tonight - imperative in the title chase.  Gasol and Bynum combined for 35 points, 24 rebounds and five blocks.

- Bryant is done for the night.  DJ Mbenga gets a few garbage time minutes - as does former Laker Brian Cook.

- Final Score:  Lakers 89 - Rockets 70

- The pregame festivities were unremarkable and somewhat subdued.  Ron Artest has the Rocket logo shaved into the side of his head dyed red.  That's the big scoop.

- Ultimately it comes down to a simple question:  Are the Los Angeles Lakers not nearly as good as thought - or are the Houston Rockets a uniquely difficult matchup for them?  The answer may not be clear after the game even if the Lakers win.  Should they lose - it'll be interesting to see how General Manager Mitch Kupchak approaches the offseason with a number of key free agents.

- I asked the question of Coach Phil Jackson.  Ultimately he'd like his team to be more consistent defensively.  One specific difficulty the Lakers have had is that they need two guys to guard the pick and roll with Aaron Brooks and the screener.  LA's small forwards have had trouble handling Ron Artest and thus LA has been forced to give help.  Phil said that while the Lakers have corralled Artest successfully, the team's attention to the Brooks screen roll and extra help on Artest has opened up the floor for players like Shane Battier and Luis Scola.

- Coach Rick Adelman talked about execution.  Both teams know what they want and need to do.  It's just a matter now of who does it.

- More at the half . . .

- The Lakers stick with Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Trevor Ariza, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.  The Rockets have their now usual five of Aaron Brooks, Shane Battier, Ron Artest, Luis Scola and Chuck Hayes.

- Scola picks up an early foul.  In a game seven, foul trouble can be very significant.

-  When Ariza slaps a loose ball in on a tip-in, the Lakers go up 5-0; it looks like the Lakers are going to be getting some lucky bounces to start this one.  Sure enough after a Fisher steal, Ariza cans a three to put LA up 8-0.  Trevor has six of the eight . . .

- Another thought from the pregame; Jackson was asked if he puts any weight in the fact that the team with the first quarter lead has won each game.  He said that's more significant for the Rockets (who can boast the same stat in the first round against the Portland Trail Blazers) but not as relevant for his team.  Phil did say that helps Houston build their confidence, he'd like to take that away from them.

- Gasol gets his first almost three minutes in.  Soon after Brooks gets his first. 

- Houston has missed all nine of their shot attempts and has two turnovers, scoring their first points over five minutes in on a pair of Brooks' free throws.

- Ariza's second three (nine points) puts LA up 13-2.  Houston still doesn't have a field goal (0-12) until Hayes finally lays one in off of a nice feed from Artest. 

- Phil intimated that if Odom was 100% healthy he'd be starting . . . FYI.

- Fisher hits a couple of jumpers in what has been a dismal series for him.  LA up 17-4.

The Rockets get perhaps their best offensive possession of the game on a Carl Landry post up, but Houston is still down nine.

- Gasol cleans up an Ariza miss with a rebound in traffic, putting it in for a three-point play and getting a quick second on Landry.

- Rockets started to find an offensive rhythm in the post late but the Lakers finish the quarter up big.

- Lakers 22 - Rockets 12.

- Houston hits just five of 20 shots.  LA didn't light it up, going 9-23.

- Rockets challenging a bit more in the second.  Luke Walton with a couple of nice defensive plays on Artest.

- Bynum earned minutes in his first stint (five boards and two blocks), Jackson goes back to him in the second and Andrew quickly scores.  Lamar Odom hits a three and suddenly the Lakers are back up 14 after the Rockets closed to within nine.

- Kobe/Artest guarding each other.  Bryant has just four points yet LA is up 18.

- Bynum and Brooks get tangled up in transition and Andrew gets rung up for a technical after giving Aaron an extra little push.

- Lakers going small with Fisher, Sasha Vujacic, Bryant, Ariza and Gasol matching up with Brook, Von Wafer, Battier, Artest and Scola.

- Third foul on Battier with 4:40 left in the half. 

- No Shannon Brown yet . . .

- Gasol is cleaning up a lot of misses on the offensive glass (four o-boards so far).

- Ariza's dunk in transition gets it up to 21.  He's LA's leading scorer at 13.  Lakers up 25 . . .

- Lakers couldn't have done more in the first half . . .

- At the half - Lakers 51 - Rockets 31.

The Los Angeles Lakers/Houston Rockets series wraps this afternoon at STAPLES Center.  Will the undermanned Rockets pull the massive upset on the heavily favored Lakers?

Regardless of outcome, I'll be there blogging!

First post around noon . . .