7:42 - LO sets up Kobe with a sweet bounce pass in transition, which forces Battier to take a second foul to prevent an easy layup.  Just like that, the Rockets' (and possibly the league's) best glue guy is out of the game.  In comes Bonzi.  Nice start for the Lakers.

6:39 - Poor Kwame.  While probably giving Yao a little too much position from the jump, he nonetheless stayed with him, did his best to muscle him, and Yao still managed to get the baby hook into the net.  When he's on, Yao can create a long night for Kwame.  Or Bynum. Or Mihm.  Or whoever's got the fun task of guarding him.

6:13 - Yao gets called going for the block on Ronny.  Maybe it's because I don't see 82 Rockets games each year, but I've never seen yao get so animated and in a ref's ear.  Personally, I think he got as much arm as ball on the swat, but the dude was certainly looking to make a serious case for himself.

5:19:  Add Turiaf (and even Kobe behind him) to the list of those who are gonna have a tough time doing anything against a well placed Yao hook shot.  Both Laker defenders went up for the block.  Both swiped at nothing but air.

4:37: Huge, huge, HUGE rebound by Fish.  Not only did he secure the loose rock, he did it while absorbing a body blow from Yao, which was correctly called as a loose ball foul.  That's Yao's second.  The Lakers need to capitalize on what could be a sizable Yao-free spell.

2:35 - Time out ends.  Phil brings in Bynum, Farmar and Walton.  In particular, I'm curious to see how Walton plays.  He's strung together a few rough games in a row and could use a break in the doldrums.  As could the second unit, since his play often dictates much of the bench's effectiveness.

5.4 - The Lakers work pretty hard on Houston's final possession, with Walton, then a switched Vlad sticking to T-Mac well enough to make him give up the rock.  Seriously, it happened.  Mike James for a miss, then Deke Motumbo, but Bonzi finally snakes the ball away from Bynum under the basket fgor the layup.  Lakers 25, Rockets 22.  A light year's better first quarter than the opener against San Antonio.  A very productive outing for Ronny Turiaf (7 pts, 2 boards and 4 trips to the stripe).  Yao forced to the bench early.  And only 3 purple and gold turnovers.  Can't do much better.  Or can they?  We'll see in the second.

Second Quarter

11:32 - The refs owe Battier a steak dinner.  He's been back in the game for 30 seconds and he's getting sent back to the pine after getting called for a block on Mo Evans' dunk attempt.  Only one problem.  It was actually Vlad who got in the way of Mo.  They two collided hard, with Battier a good two feet away.  I'll take it, but it's one of the worst calls I've ever seen.

10:04 - "The Russian Composer" (as Mom thinks Vlad's name sounds like) hits for his second three.  Nice to see him off to a fast start.  It's hard to know what you're getting from him on a game to game basis, so early returns are always welcome.

8:49 - A switch gone bad leaves Walton on Ming, which somehow results in a missed shot.  Perhaps that's the key to stopping the NBA's best center.  Distract him with a mismatch absurdly in his favor.

3:53 - Lotta ball movement by LO and Kobe eventually creates a three for Fish.  But it' answered fast by T-Mac.  Lakers still up by 14, so no need to panic over traded baskets yet.  YET.

Timeout: The jumbotron shows different Rockets with headphones on, trying to guess which TV show a various theme song matches up with, then remembering the lyrics.  Battier knows the most shows, but Bonzi seems to enjoy the singing part more than anybody.  Seriously, give that dude a mic and the theme to "Greatest American Hero" and you've got yourself one hell of a Karaoke party.

2:04 - For all the dribbling he did on that possession, he better have made it.  Like the result, didn't love the set up.

1:54 - Kobe comes from behind to swat the crap out of Yao's layup.  Dude's been a serious shot blocking machine this season.  #2 in the NBA among shooting guards this season so far. 

50.4 - A lane violation by the Rockets during T-Mac's second free throw isn't nearly as painful as the look on his face while shooting it.  Dude wrenched his arm in Luke's body going after a loose ball and is obviously ain't feeling so hot at the moment. 

The game winds down with a Kirk Snyder three (his first bucket of the 2007-2008 season!  Remember where you were when that happened) and Kobe misses one.  But with a 61-49 Laker lead, it ain't much to cry about.  They've been doing a great job keeping Houston in check, limiting them to 37% shooting.  They've also only turned the rock over fout times.  Keep this up and you're looking at a winning formula.  We shall see.  Back in the third.

Third Quarter

No T-Mac in the lineup.  Bonzi takes his place to start things out.  On a related note, Steve Francis has just left the arena to catch a 10:00 pm showing of "Bee Movie."  McGrady is apparently out for the night.  I'll give word if I hear anything more.

9:56 - Turiaf drains a shot clock beating 21-footer for his 9th point.  Hopefully the start of another good half for Ronny.

T-Mac update: Strained right elbow.  Heading to Memorial Hospital for an MRI.  Which certainly decreases his likelihood of returning.  I just got one of those bad boys on my shoulder and they take a while.

8:14 - Bad break.  Kwame blocks Yao's shot, but the ball goes right back into Ming's hands and he proceeds to put it on the floor and into the bucket, drawing the foul on LO.  Freebie converted. 

7:24 - Bonzi blows past D-Fish and straight to the rack, picking up a foul on Ronny.  Converted "And one."  All of a sudden, it's a ball game.  Rockets only down by 6. 

6:01 - A few ugly possessions for Kwame.  A couple turnovers sandwiching an offensive possession where he seemed to want no part of the rock. The seocnd turnover offensive possession results in him him tossing the rock into Battier's hands.  Bonzi eventually gets the ball and (surprise, surprise) a trip to the line, drawing another foul on Ronny.  Bynum enters the game for Kwame.

Bonzi, for those keeping score, is kinda starting to kill the Lakers.

The Lakers need to rediscover their first half energy and fast.  The last thing they want is not only a loss, but a loss where T-Mac was out and Yao's mostly been getting his points at the stripe.

4:21 - Bynum gets called for setting a moving screen for Kobe.  Another turnover.  Rafer Alston puts it in the hole.  One point game, people.

2:50 - I can only speculate how much it hurt LO's bad pinkie diving after the ball when he lost the  handle.  Great effort, though, especially the way he managed to get the ball to Fish.  Pity the possession went dry.

1:44 - Deja vu all over again.  Battier makes a huge three.  Score's tied 71-71.  Getting kinda hectic.

Bonzi may have gotten a piece of Farmar's shot to run down the quarter.  But Evans' triple helps regain an ever-so-slight lead.  75-71 Lakers.  Seat belts, kids.

Fourth Quarter

10:56 - Luke somewhat redeems a pass sailed over Bynum's head by posting up Bonzi, then fading away for a deuce.

10:08 - Objectively speaking, I'm sorry, but that was an awesome block by Motumbo on Evans.  And if I were a Rockets fan, I'd probably find the pic of him on the jumbotron wagging his finger pretty amusing.

8:43 - Time out on the floor.   Some aggressive energy from Evans is helping the Lakers.  I wouldn't mind a little aggressive energy from Kobe.  Of course, that would mean putting him back in the game, which, thus far, ain't happening.

8:28 - Another bucket inside from Wells.  Dude is abusing the purple and gold right now.   

7:58 - Kobe, LO and Kwame reenter the action.  Bonzi, big as he's been, misses two at the stripe.  The game stays tied at 79.

7:35 - Kobe twists a fade away from 18 feet out and into the net.  Dude's not a bad baller, you know?

5:59 - it's not quite as bad as the Vlad/Mo collision called on Battier, but LO just got hosed hard on that fourth foul.  Yao was clearly moving and beaten to the spot.  Bad charge call.

5:54 - Huge 10-foot basket by Yao with kwame's hand in his face.  Agian, when that shot's on, ain't nothing anybody can do. 

4:52 - Decent enough screen by Kwame allows Kobe a little wriggle room, which is plenty for him drop a 20 footer.  Expect a lot of back and forth between Kobe and Yao/maybe Bonzi.

3:37 - Kwame draws an offensive on Yao.  Dude had decent position, so that worked out very well.

3:00 - Absolutely smothering D by Kobe forces a prayer shot by Battier, who clangs the ball into Kobe's hands.  bryant ends up at the stripe.  Two converted freebies.  Lakers up by 4.

2:30 - LO picks up his 5th personal going for the block on Yao.  Crunch time at the stripe.  And Yao misses the first!!!  The second goes down.  Three point game.

2:01 - A bad decision by Fish (you can't float a pass over Yao) leads to a turnover, which leads to LO fouling out trying to stop Yao at the basket.  Tough night for LO.  But Yao again misses one of two, allowing the Lakers a window.. for Kobe to drain another.

1:33 - Big board by Turiaf, corralling Yao's latest one of two freebie miss.  For a guy who shoots them pretty well, the big man's been suffering some trouble.

23.9 - Two VERY big freebies sank by Drew, who corralled the loose ball off Alston's missed three.  The Lakers really got away with one on that possession, after the Rockets got three offensive boards and tries for a tie-snaring make.

Yao manages to get to the line with 1.4 after sinking a layup.  But he misses the freebie (albeit on purpose this time), followed by a missed three ball by Alston after the perfect line drive bounce back to Yao.  As Rockets Ticket Manager Eric Margulous (a family friend I'm watching the game with) says to me, "Story of the game for us.  Missed free throw and a missed three."  Well, if you're a Laker fan, you'll take it.  Along with a 93-90 win.  Roadie ends on a split.  Crazy game.  Almost crazy in a bad way, too.  But again, you'll take it.

Thanks for dropping by.  More to come later. 

AK