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LA Lakers clobber Yao Ming's Rockets 98-84 Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone seldom have two bad games in a row, and their efforts Monday night helped the Los Angeles Lakers overcome Shaquille O'Neal's lowest-scoring playoff game ever.
O'Neal, in foul trouble most of the game, had a career playoff-low seven points and seven rebounds. His previous low was 11 points against Utah in 1997. The best-of-seven series moves to Houston for Games 3 and 4 Friday night and Sunday afternoon. In Game 1, Bryant shot 4-of-19 for 16 points and Malone was 3-of-14 for seven points in the Lakers' 72-71 victory. It was a much different story this time, with Bryant shooting 9-of-20 from the field and 16-of-17 from the foul line. Malone shot 7-of-12. After being held to a season-low 32.9 percent shooting in the opener, the Lakers shot 45.3 percent in Game 2. Steve Francis, appearing in just his second playoff game, became the fourth Houston player to record a triple-double in the playoffs with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. He has six in the regular season during his five-year career. Yao Ming scored 21 points and Jim Jackson added 19 for the Rockets. Derek Fisher scored 11 points and Kareem Rush had 10 for the Lakers.
Rush also made two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of Game 1. O'Neal picked up his fourth foul less than three minutes into the third quarter with the game tied. With backup Slava Medvedenko sidelined by a strained right Achilles' tendon, Lakers coach Phil Jackson had no choice but to leave O'Neal in. Bryant made two free throws and O'Neal converted a three-point play to give the Lakers a 61-56 lead. The field goal was O'Neal's second of the game. Bryant scored six points in the last 15.8 seconds of the period to give the Lakers a 74-64 lead. O'Neal had only two points and four rebounds in the first half, playing only 14 minutes because of foul trouble. The Lakers scored eight straight points for a 33-25 lead early in the second quarter. But the Rockets went on an 8-0 run of their own to finish the period for a 46-44 halftime lead. Yao scored 10 points in the first nine minutes to equal his total in Game 1. O'Neal blocked Yao twice in the opening 19 seconds, but committed two fouls in the first 6:05 and sat out the rest of the first quarter, which ended with the Lakers leading 23-22. |
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