Preview
HOUSTON, Feb. 12 (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Lakers try to conclude a season-high seven-game road trip with three straight wins when they visit the Toyota Center to face the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
The Lakers have been on a road trip since Feb. 1 as the STAPLES Center gets prepared to host this weekend's All-Star Game. They have won four of the first six games on the trek, all without All-Star guard Kobe Bryant, who has been sidelined with a lacerated finger.
Bryant is expected to play in Houston. "He says he'll play (tonight)," coach Phil Jackson told the Los Angeles Daily News. "If he can stand the discomfort, he can play. There's nothing else we have to worry about."
Los Angeles, which is five games behind first-place Sacramento in the Pacific Division, is trying to win three consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 9-14.
The Lakers have won six of nine games following a three-game slid, including a 98-83 victory over the Miami Heat on Tuesday.
All-Star Shaquille O'Neal and Derek Fisher combined to score 16 straight points during a 20-6 game-ending run for Los Angeles, which moved 13 games over .500 to match its season high.
O'Neal finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds and Fisher had 18 points as the Lakers shot just under 50 percent (40-of-81) from the floor and committed just nine turnovers.
Devean George had 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Houston had a three-game winning streak snapped with an 85-82 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the opener of a three-game homestand on Monday.
Yao Ming scored 25 points and fellow All-Star Steve Francis had 18, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Rockets, who shot just 43 percent (32-of-74) from the floor, including 3-of-19 from 3-point range.
Houston has lost three of its last five games at the Toyota Center, where it is 16-8 this season.
The Rockets beat the Lakers, 99-87, at STAPLES Center on Christmas Day.