Lakers 96, Rockets 93

By MICHAEL A. LUTZ
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) Yao Ming is learning that playing Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers can be painful.

Yao got a whack on the chin from Rick Fox and watched as O'Neal scored 39 points in leading the Lakers to a 96-93 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

``I think he knows how to attack me,'' said Yao, who had six points and 10 rebounds. ``I have to learn how to defend him. He backed me down slowly. Last time, he tried to go to the hole quicker, but this time he just kept backing up.

``If he uses his strength against me, there's not a lot I can do.''

Houston led 89-86 with 2:37 to play before a basket by Robert Horry set the Lakers' winning rally in motion.

O'Neal followed with a 7-foot hook and a turnaround jumper both over Kelvin Cato and then went right at Yao and dunked on his third try for a 94-91 lead with 19 seconds remaining. The Rockets then missed a last second desperation shot by Glen Rice.

O'Neal had 31 points and 10 rebounds in the last meeting with the Rockets, who won the game in overtime.

``I played him the same way I play everyone,'' O'Neal said. ``The last time I didn't know what he had, and now I do. Everyone talks about the last game because they won, but I had 31 pints and he had 10. Yeah, he blocked me three times, but he's 7-6. He's supposed to do that.''

Yao had to leave the court briefly in the third quarter when he went tumbling to the floor after hitting his chin on Fox's head. He was back in the game late in the period.

``It was definitely too much Shaq,'' Rockets guard Cuttino Mobley said. ``I think 80 percent of his shots he dunked. What can you do? Shaq just dominated. What else can you say.''

O'Neal denied it was a statement game.

``I don't have to make statements,'' O'Neal said. ``Everybody knows the type of player I am. I've been doing this for 10 years and just because he had one good game against me doesn't mean he had had the MDE (most dominant ever) title.

``I took that title from Hakeem when he left Houston a couple of years ago.''

The Rockets learned prior to the game that coach Rudy Tomjanovich would take an indefinite leave to fight bladder cancer. Interim coach Larry Smith didn't use the emotional aspect of the game as an excuse.

``I think we did a good job defensively, we just did not do the job down the stretch,'' Smith said. ``We're still learning. I lot happened this week. I'm not making excuses but this was a very trying day for us.''

Kobe Bryant scored 31 points for the Lakers and had a team-high nine rebounds.

James Posey and Steve Francis each scored 19 points for Houston, and Cuttino Mobley and Maurice Taylor added 15 apiece.

The biggest lead of the game was Houston's early 20-10 edge. There were 15 lead changes and 11 ties.

``He (O'Neal) was motivated, no doubt about it,'' Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson said. ``He really didn't want to come out of the game in the first half and in the second half I let him play more.''< ^Notes:@ The Rockets activated Tito Maddox prior to the game and placed forward Bostjan Nachbar on the injured list with a strained left groin. Maddox had been on the injured list since March 18 with a viral infection. ... The Lakers played their ninth road game in their last 10 and their third in a row.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)