Lakers squeak past Rockets in season-opener
The Los Angeles Lakers raised their 16th championship banner tonight and their quest for the 17th and third-straight title started on a bright note, when they defeated the Houston Rockets,
112-110, Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Lakers’ new-recruit Steve Blake hit the go-ahead basket with 18.8 seconds left in the game, helping the Lakers bag their third-straight season-opening win.
Kobe Bryant, who is still recovering from a knee surgery during the off-season, scored 27 points and dished out seven assists, while Pau Gasol racked up 29 points and 11 boards for the Lakers,
who started the season with the championship ring ceremony.
The players, who were part of the Lakers’ championship team last season, received their rings in a heartfelt ceremony, which was different from the usual ceremonies they had before. This
time, each player was tasked to introduce the next player, who will receive their championship memorabilia.
"It's always fun when this night comes and there's a chance to enjoy it," said Bryant. "And tonight it was a little more special because we all introduced each other. It's special. We know
the bond that we share, and for Fisher to bring me out there, that was great."
The Lakers struggled to find their rhythm and trailed by as much as 15 points in the second half, before Shannon Brown spearheaded a huge run by scoring 14 of his 16 points for six minutes
in the final period.
"Getting those rings, you're definitely on a high," said Brown, who turned down lucrative offers from other teams during the free agency period. "You have to come back down, because that's
history. That's something nobody can take away from you ever, but it doesn't help us in the next game."
The two teams traded leads in the final minute, but Blake’s three-point dagger helped the Lakers escape with a hard-earned victory.
High-scoring guard Kevin Martin led the Rockets with 26 points, while Aaron Brooks tallied 24 points, 18 in the first half, but the shifty point guard blamed himself after failing to execute
the proper play in their final possession.
"When I caught the ball, I didn't know exactly where I was on the floor," Brooks said. "Then I took a dribble and realized where I was, and I tried to drive, but my leg kind of slipped."
Luis Scola had an impressive debut, as the Argentinean power forward finished the game with 18 points and 16 rebounds, while Yao Ming had nine points and 11 rebounds, which were not enough
to spoil the Lakers’ championship celebration.
"They're the world champs, and we knew it was going to be tough," Houston coach Rick Adelman said. "But I thought we responded pretty well. I think for about seven minutes, we just didn't
play the way we're capable of, and they got back in the game."
The Chinese centre, Yao, who will only play a maximum of 24 minutes each game, played in his first game since the 2009 play-offs after missing the entire season last year because of a surgery
in his left foot.
Lakers head coach Phil Jackson received his 11th championship ring, but he was not impressed with their performance. However, he’s glad that they were able to escape with a win, which he
credited to the very emotional ring ceremony.
"I think that the players were emboldened by the ring," Jackson said. “I just didn't think we played with the right speed and tempo in the first half. We got a lot of shots, not a lot of
them good."
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