NBA Scores Western Conference Semifinals: Houston Rockets Start Big and Close Strong to Beat Los Angeles Lakers to Force Game 7

Luis Scola scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Aaron Brooks added 26 points and 4 assists, Carl Landry was 6-6 from the floor for 15 points and pulled down 9 off the glass and Ron Artest finished with 14 points as the Houston Rockets knocked off the Los Angeles Lakers 82-71 on Thursday night to even their best-of-seven Western Conference playoff series at 3-3 and force a Game 7.

Houston came out blazing as they jumped all over LA and built a 21-3 lead with Scola scoring 12 of those points. LA finally began to find their range and when Jordan Farmar hit a three-pointer for the final points of the opening frame LA was down 27-15. LA cut their deficit to single-digits in the opening minute of the second but triples from Shane Battier and Artest bumped the Rockets lead back up to 33-19. Houston managed to built their lead back up to 17 following a Von Wafer three-pointer with 5:50 left and when brooks buried a three-pointer to end the half the Rockets were up 52-36.

That Houston lead quickly evaporated in the third as the Lakers opened the frame on a 16-2 run with Trevor Ariza and Kobe Bryant pacing the attack to get LA within 54-52. Carl Landry stopped the bleeding for the Rockets with a big three-point play and following a Kobe jumper Battier sank a layup and Brooks buried a triple to give Houston some breathing room at 62-54. LA was back within five after a Pau Gasol bucket with 55 seconds left but the Rockets closed the frame with buckets from Brooks and Scola to push the advantage to 74-65 with one quarter left. Los Angeles stayed within single-digits for the first 4:30 of the fourth but Artest then hit a big three-pointer to give Houston a ten-point lead and after Kobe managed to get the Lakers to within nine the Rockets went on a 7-0 spurt to go up 89-75 and the Lakers folded the rest of the way.

Houston shot 50 percent from the floor while the Lakers struggled from the field, hitting just 35 percent in the loss.

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