The Houston Rockets played an away game against the LA Lakers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. In their last 2 seasons, the two teams had clashed 7 times, with the Rockets having a slight edge, winning 4 and losing 3. The Rockets were once 16 points ahead in the first half, but due to the sluggish performance of McGrady and Artest, and the all-round attack of the Lakers, the Rockets eventually lost to the Lakers 82-111, recording 1 win and 2 losses in the first 3 games of this Western Expedition. The three superstars of the Rockets scored only 23 points in total, equal to the score of Kobe alone.