LAKERS MAKE STATEMENT WITH MONUMENTAL ROUT OF ROCKETS

The Houston Rockets may have beaten the Los Angeles Lakers at home in game four of the Western Conference semifinals last Sunday, but they’ve definitely paid a price for it.  They certainly made the Lakers mad, and may have woken up a team that at times appeared to be sleepwalking through the NBA playoffs.  On Tuesday night at the Staples Center, the Lakers destroyed the Rockets in a game that was essentially over by halftime and eventually prevailed by an absurd 40 point margin in the 118-78 victory.  The Lakers now lead the best of seven series 3-2 with game six scheduled for Thursday night in Houston.

With Houston’s superstar center Yao Ming out of the lineup with a season ending stress fracture sustained in game three, the Lakers ran roughshod over the outmanned Rockets.  Los Angeles led 35-24 at the end of the first quarter, with the lead growing to 64-39 at halftime.  The Lakers didn’t lose their killer instinct after the break despite the huge lead, adding 15 points to their advantage in the second half.  The 40 point loss tied a Rockets franchise record for worst playoff setback, while the Lakers hadn’t won by 40+ since defeating San Antonio in the first round of the 1986 playoffs. 

 Even though Los Angeles was installed as hefty 12’ home favorites they had the game covered easily by halftime and the pointspread outcome was in as little doubt after the break as the SU verdict.  The O/U result provided the only real drama in the game from a sports betting standpoint, though eventually the combined 196 points dipped UNDER the posted total of 199.  Three of the five games in the series have gone UNDER the total—all three Laker SU victories.   Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson may not be mindful of the sports wagering numbers, but they validate his frequent assertion that when the Lakers play good defense they win games.

Seven Lakers scored in double digits including three reserves, clearly taking advantage of the additional playing time facilitated by the rout.  Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 26 points in only three quarters of play, while Pao Gasol contributed a ‘double/double’ with 16 points and 13 rebounds.  Starters Andrew Bynum scored 14 and Trevor Ariza, while reserves Jordan Farmar (12 points), Lamar Odom (10 points) and Josh Powell (10 points) all posted double digit scoring totals.   Houston, meanwhile, obviously suffered from the absence of their big man as they put only three players in the double digit scoring column.  Aaron Brooks paced the Rockets with 14 points, while Luis Scola chipped in for a ‘double/double’ by scoring 12 points and hauling in 13 rebounds.  Reserve Von Wafer rounded out the Rockets’ double digit scoring with 13 points.

After the game, Kobe Bryant insisted that the Lakers still had a tough task ahead despite the rout and Yao Ming’s season ending injury:

"We've got to stay focused and understand that the effort we gave tonight is not going to be enough on Thursday. It's just not. We're not playing some chump team. I don't care how many people they have out. This is a tough team, it's a tough team full of competitors."

The Lakers have been installed as a -8 point road favorite in game six, with the total set at 197.  Should a game seven be necessary, it will be played on Sunday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  The winner of this series will go on to meet the victor in the Dallas/Denver series for the right to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals.