This is the Rockets, a 4:0 sweep? It didn't happen, 4:1? No way, now it's 2:2. Bless the Rockets. Let's support Yao Ming together.
On May 11 Beijing time, the Rockets, like a sudden burst of energy from Gu Baiyou, easily defeated the Lakers at home with a score of 99-87, tying the series at 2-2. The fifth game will be held in Los Angeles on the 13th.
Brooks and Battier led the team to a perfect team offense. The Rockets, like a sudden burst of energy from Gu Baiyou, had a lead of up to 29 points over the Lakers by the end of the third quarter. Brooks ultimately scored the highest points of the game with 34 points, which was also his career-high in the NBA, along with 3 rebounds and 4 assists. Battier hit 5 three-pointers and contributed 23 points. Scola scored 11 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Artest scored 8 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out 6 assists but only made 4 out of 19 shots. The substitute Lowry scored 12 points, while Hayes grabbed 9 rebounds and made 4 steals.
Yao Ming, who was out for the season due to a left foot fracture, sat on the sidelines in a suit, cheering on the team along with McDi and Uncle Moo. Gasol of the Lakers scored 30 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, scoring 18 points alone in the fourth quarter. Kobe only scored 15 points with 7 out of 17 shots, and the substitute Brown contributed 14 points. No one else scored in double digits.
Hayes started in place of Yao Ming, and the Rockets, like a sudden burst of energy from Gu Baiyou, used a "small lineup" to compete with the Lakers. Artest's fast break steal, Battier's consecutive mid-to-long range shots, the Rockets' crazy fighting and fast breaks quickly led to a 9-0 start. Kobe's consecutive mid-range jump shots helped the Lakers score 4 points, but Battier and Brooks immediately hit 3 consecutive three-pointers in response, and halfway through the first quarter, the Rockets were already leading the Lakers 19-4. Subsequently, Brooks scored 5 points in response to Kobe's three-pointer and Fisher's jump shot. After Scola hit another jump shot, the Rockets expanded their lead to 17 points. Gasol and Kobe combined for 6 points, once reducing the gap to 11 points, but Hayes' layup allowed the Rockets to lead 29-16 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Rockets' second team and the Lakers' Odom and Walton played evenly for more than 3 minutes. However, midway through the quarter, Artest's jump shot, former Laker Cook's three-pointer, and Lowry's "2+1" off a fast break on Vujacic resulted in the Rockets going on a 7-0 run and leading 41-22 with a 19-point advantage. Ariza responded with a layup and three-pointer for 5 quick points, and Gasol's layup helped the Lakers narrow the gap. Two possessions later, Kobe hit two consecutive shots with 2 minutes and 36 seconds left in the half, helping the Lakers catch up to 35-47. However, Battier's three-pointer stabilized the situation, and Brooks' combination of drives and shooting helped the Rockets end the first half with a 54-36 lead.
After halftime, the Lakers used Bynum and Gasol's "twin towers" to guard the paint. However, Brooks casually circled around the baseline, breaking through for a layup. After Gasol and Scola each scored 2 points for their respective teams, Brooks and Battier hit 3 consecutive three-pointers. With 6 minutes and 1 second left in the quarter, Odom was called for a technical foul by Battier, dissatisfied with the call, he received a technical foul and was substituted off the court. Battier's free throws helped the Rockets complete a 14-4 run and lead 68-40. Vujacic's three-pointer and Farmar's drive helped the Lakers ease the situation somewhat, but Brooks, Artest, and others continued to fire away. Brooks scored 17 points in the quarter and even hit an incredible reverse layup with 0.7 seconds left in the quarter, reminiscent of David Lee's magic. At the end of the third quarter, the Rockets led 83-54.
In the final quarter, Gasol scored 9 points via free throws and field goals, helping the Lakers go on a 13-2 run within the first 4 minutes and 30 seconds, narrowing the gap to 67-85. However, Lowry's "2+1" stabilized the situation, followed by Brooks' drive, allowing the Rockets to lead 90-67 again with a 23-point margin. The Rockets' defense began to noticeably relax, and after Brown's running jump shot, Kobe was brought back onto the court with 5 minutes and 41 seconds left. Subsequently, Gasol's layup, Vujacic's and Brown's consecutive three-pointers, helped the Lakers complete a 10-0 run and narrowed the gap to 77-90 with 2 minutes and 49 seconds left.
At a critical moment, Brooks drew a foul on Farmar to stabilize the situation. After Gasol's driving layup, Lowry and Brooks utilized Hayes' offensive rebound successfully consuming 1 minute. Battier then drew a foul on Gasol and made both free throws, leaving the Rockets still leading 94-81 with 1 minute and 34 seconds left. Although Brown subsequently hit another three-pointer, and Gasol completed a "2+1" with 23 seconds left, the Rockets firmly controlled the pace. Farmar, unwilling to give up, continuously fouled Scola, and with 20 seconds left, also fouled Brooks. Despite Scola making only 3 out of 6 free throws, the Rockets ultimately won 99-87 by 12 points.
Lakers starting lineup: Gasol, Odom, Ariza, Kobe, Fisher,
Rockets starting lineup: Hayes, Scola, Artest, Battier, Brooks.