Tuesday, May 12, 2009

HOUSTON (AP) With Yao Ming out, the Houston Rockets had no chance to beat the Los Angeles Lakers. Right?

No problems in Houston: Rockets forward Ron Artest drives to the basket as Lakers forward Trevor Ariza defends during the first quarter. AP PHOTO

Wrong.

Aaron Brooks scored a career-high 34, Shane Battier sank five 3-pointers and added 23 and the Rockets beat the Lakers 99-87 on Sunday to even their Western Conference semifinal at 2-2.

"I think everyone but us got the memo that we weren't supposed to show up today without Yao," Battier said.

Luis Scola had 11 points and 14 rebounds as the Rockets got exactly the team effort they needed after Yao broke his left foot in Game 3.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles, and anyone who thought the Rockets were finished without their best player only needed to watch the first quarter, when Houston built a 29-16 lead.

The Rockets never trailed and led by as many as 29 before the Lakers made the score respectable toward the end.

"I'm not surprised," said Battier. "It almost sounds cliche, but we're a resilient group.

"We talk about bouncing back. Through adversity, through lineup changes, through trades, through injuries, we've never quit and we've never stopped believing."

Brooks, in his second NBA season, became Houston's starting point guard when the team dealt Rafer Alston to Orlando at the trade deadline.

He faced countless questions about his inexperience before the postseason began, but keeps showing skeptics that he can handle the job. He scored 27 points in Houston's Game 1 win in Portland and had 14 points in the second half of the Rockets' 100-92 victory in the opener of this series.

Brooks deflected credit to his teammates after this one.

"I'm lucky to have these guys," he said. "It makes it a lot easier on me."

Pau Gasol scored 30 points and Kobe Bryant had a quiet 15 for Los Angeles.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson warned his team about taking the Rockets too lightly after hearing about Yao's injury. But the Lakers looked lethargic from the start, giving away careless turnovers and playing lax defense.

"They didn't anticipate the energy that they were going to come with," Jackson said. "But you say as much as you can as a coach and then the players have to execute and do it on the floor."

ORLANDO , Fla. (AP) Glen Davis rolled off the pick and into the corner, left open for a shot he was never supposed to take and in a position he was never supposed to be in.

The ball came and the clock ticked down, and the "Big Baby" who has replaced injured All-Star Kevin Garnett let the ball fly over Rashard Lewis.

It was a swish that changed the series for Boston.

Davis made a long jumper as time expired to help the Celtics hold off a furious rally and defeat the Orlando Magic 95-94 on Sunday night to even their Eastern Conference semifinal at two games apiece. A spot he never expected to be in until Garnett went down with a season-ending knee injury, Davis relished his newfound celebrity.

"This is really neat," he said. "This is my first time, so bear with me."

He looked like a veteran.

Davis took the pass on the wing from Paul Pierce, made the jumper and ran to half court. He was mobbed by teammates, waving his hands and leaving the Orlando crowd silenced.

"I didn't see his emotions," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "I was having an emotional hijack at the moment myself."

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