Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets | featured news

The Los Angeles Lakers are faced with a "win and get in" opportunity Wednesday night when they host the Houston Rockets in their regular-season finale.

An epic trade that would have made Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant teammates in Los Angeles was vetoed Thursday night by N.B.A. Commissioner David Stern in a decision that rocked the league just as it emerged from a five-month lockout... New Orleans would have received Lamar Odom from the Lakers, and Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and Goran Dragic from the Rockets. Martin is among the league’s top scorers, Odom is a versatile big man and Scola is a skilled and rugged power forward. In addition, the Hornets would have received the Knicks’ first-round draft pick in 2012, which the Rockets acquired in a previous trade. Houston would have received Pau Gasol from the Lakers.

Aaron Brooks scored a career-high 33 points, including five 3-pointers, and the Houston Rockets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 101-91 on Sunday night, sending them to a second consecutive loss.

The Lakers are close to reaching an agreement with Houston forward Ron Artest, The Times has learned. The move would probably end the pursuit of forward Trevor Ariza.

The Houston Rockets ran out of All Stars before they ran out of steam in the playoffs. Missing their top two players and a backup center who happens to be the NBA's second all-time shot blocker, the Rockets pushed the Los Angeles Lakers to the brink in their second-round series before losing by 19 in Sunday's Game 7.

Kobe Bryant scored 32 points, but the series heads back to Staples Center on Sunday. The road to the NBA championship that the Lakers so desire has ran into a roadblock in the Western Conference semifinals.

Rockets center Yao Ming was ruled out for the remainder of the sesaon after a hairline fracture was found in his left foot.

Kobe Bryant has 33 points and Jordan Farmar fills in admirably for suspended Derek Fisher with 12 points, seven assists, five rebounds, two steals, one blocked shot and only one turnover in 33 minutes.

Down a player, weary from a brutal Game 2, on the road in a tougher-than-expected Western Conference semifinal series, the Lakers responded the only way they knew how.

Yao Ming, who briefly left with a knee injury in the closing minutes, had 28 points and 10 rebounds, to lead the Houston Rockets to a physical 100-92 victory win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.