Game 2 Report

FIRST QUARTER

HOUSTON 22 LAKERS 23

Highlight reel: Shaquille O’Neal showed he was ready to play defense on the game’s first two shots. He blocked a jump hook in the lane by Yao Ming, who grabbed the rebound and drove to the left of the basket, only to have O’Neal reject that shot too. The blocks set an intimidating tone in the opening minutes, but it wouldn’t last because of O’Neal’s foul trouble.

Not in the box score: A sore ankle didn’t stop Karl Malone from giving up his 40-year-old body. He took a hard fall early in the game but continued to play hard and make big plays. His jump shot in the lane over Yao gave the Lakers a 21-19 lead, and he drew a traveling call against the Rocket center by making contact before moving away, leaving a backing-up Yao sprawled on the court.

Winning number: 10. Points scored in the paint by each team in a battle to control the middle.

Wrong number: Two. Fouls called against O’Neal, who went to the bench with 5:55 left in the quarter after fouling an offensively aggressive Yao.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- Kobe Bryant 9, Malone 8, Gary Payton 6. Rockets -- Yao 10, Jim Jackson and Cuttino Mobley 4.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- Rick Fox 5, Malone 4. Rockets -- Steve Francis 3.

*

SECOND QUARTER

HOUSTON 46 LAKERS 44

Highlight reel: Bryant demonstrated again that he can make difficult shots look easy. Getting the ball on the right wing, he pivoted and jumped away from two defenders to hit a turnaround bank shot for a 29-25 Laker lead. With the basket, Bryant led all scorers with 13 points.

Not in the box score: The Rockets closed the quarter with a 16-6 run, most of it coming after O’Neal went to the bench after picking up his third foul with 4:25 left in the quarter. O’Neal’s absence was quickly evident when Francis passed to a streaking Yao in the lane for a dunk that was not contested.

Winning number: 124. Career three-point baskets in the playoffs by Derek Fisher, who tied Michael Cooper for the Laker record by making successive three-pointers late in the quarter.

Wrong number: 2:16. Time remaining in the quarter when Slava Medvedenko limped to the Laker locker room with a strained right Achilles’ tendon.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- Medvedenko and Fisher 6, Bryant 5. Rockets -- Jackson 9, Yao and Clarence Weatherspoon 4.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- O’Neal and Fisher 2. Rockets -- Francis 4, Maurice Taylor 2.

*

THIRD QUARTER

HOUSTON 64 LAKERS 74

Highlight reel: Bryant brought Laker fans to their feet by making a spectacular shot midway through the quarter. Starting from the left side, he drove through several defenders to the basket, where he encountered Rocket forward Kelvin Cato. As he was being fouled by Cato, Bryant turned in the air -- his back to the basket -- and flipped the ball over his head into the basket. He made the free throw to complete a three-point play.

Not in the box score: Malone continued to frustrate Yao with his defensive play in the post. Yao appeared to have an easy basket after catching a pass inside, but Malone stripped the ball and, as he was falling out of bounds, threw it off Yao to give the Lakers possession.

Winning number: 17. Points Bryant scored in the quarter, as he started to take control of the game.

Wrong number: Four. Number of fouls for O’Neal after he was called for hitting Yao on the arm on a fall-away jumper in the lane with 9:12 left in the quarter.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- Bryant 17, Malone 7. Rockets -- Francis 7, Jackson and Taylor 3.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- O’Neal 3, Fox, Malone and Bryant 2. Rockets -- Jackson, Cato, Yao and Francis 2.

*

FOURTH QUARTER

HOUSTON 84 LAKERS 98

Highlight reel: O’Neal had a quiet game because of foul trouble, but he sealed the Rockets’ fate with a nifty drive to the basket. Starting from the three-point line, O’Neal dribbled into the lane and beat Yao with a burst of speed for a layup and an 89-72 Laker lead with 4:51 to play.

Not in the box score: Fisher usually beats teams with his three-point shooting, but he showed he can also be an effective scorer near the basket. Taking a pass from Malone in the lane, the left-handed Fisher made a leaning, right-handed shot while being fouled by Jackson. He made the free throw to complete a three-point play. Later in the quarter, Fisher sneaked inside among several taller players for a tip-in basket.

Winning number: Four. Number of shots Kareem Rush made in the quarter in five attempts, including two of three from three-point range.

Wrong number: Five. Number of turnovers Rockets had in the quarter. They had only seven turnovers in the first three quarters.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- Rush 10, Bryant and Fisher 5. Rockets -- Yao and Francis 6.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- Luke Walton 2. Rockets -- Taylor 3.