Lakers finish off Rockets
(NBA.com)
Updated: 2004-04-29 13:27

Kobe Bryant gave himself and the Los Angeles Lakers several days of rest and the Houston Rockets a long vacation.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers past Houston and into a matchup with the Spurs. [Getty Images]

The indefatigable Bryant had 31 points and 10 assists and the Lakers advanced to the Western Conference semifinals for the eighth straight year with a 97-78 victory over the Rockets.

The second-seeded Lakers closed out the seventh-seeded Rockets in five games to set up an epic rematch with the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, who ended Los Angeles' three-year title reign in last year's conference semifinals.

That series starts Sunday, which certainly should benefit Bryant. Since Sunday's overtime win in Houston, he has flown to Colorado and back here for three straight days of pre-trial hearings.

Bryant arrived less than a half-hour before tip-off and appeared fatigued early in the game. But he got a second wind in the second quarter, scoring 14 points, then matched Houston's total -- nine -- in the third period.

The superstar guard was rubbing his eyes in the third quarter, which the Rockets may have been doing in disbelief. They endured their second nine-point quarter of the series and went down meekly in their first postseason appearance in five years.

Karl Malone had another solid game with 18 points for the Lakers, who have reached the conference semifinals every year since 1997 -- when Bryant and superstar center Shaquille O'Neal first became teammates.

Jim Jackson scored 17 points and Cuttino Mobley and Steve Francis added 16 each for the Rockets, who committed 22 turnovers. Yao Ming managed just 10 points.

Bryant had some trouble in the first quarter staying with Mobley, who made three 3-pointers and scored 14 points, giving Houston a 27-24 lead. But a reverse two-hand dunk gave the Lakers a 31-29 edge early in the second period and seemed to get Bryant going.

The Rockets still held a 48-47 halftime lead before unraveling in the third quarter, making just 2-of-16 shots while committing four turnovers. Malone had two jumpers in a 9-1 burst that gave the Lakers the lead for good and Bryant had a layup and 3-pointer to make it 69-55 with 1:08 to go.

Bryant left to a standing ovation and hugs from his teammates midway through the fourth quarter.

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