Rockets welcome Kobe and Co. to town

This is the third meeting of the season between the clubs. The Lakers won the two previous contests, picking up a win at home and on the road.

The Lakers have won two straight and four of their last five at Houston. The Lakers have won four in a row in this series.

Los Angeles will host the Rockets on March 30th at the Staples Center in the fourth and final contest of the campaign between the squads.

The Lakers try and get back on the winning track this evening. On Tuesday, Mike Miller tallied 14 of his 25 points in the third quarter as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Lakers, 128-118, at the FedExForum.

Superstar Kobe Bryant poured in 25 points on 7-of-15 from the field in the loss to the Grizzlies, while Maurice Evans ended with 12 points for the Lakers, who had a four-game winning streak halted.

LA is 7-8 on the road this season. The Lakers return home to host the Orlando Magic on Friday and the Miami Heat on January 15th.

Houston tries to make it back-to-back victories this evening. Tracy McGrady and Luther Head demonstrated clutch shooting in the final minutes of play, as the Rockets rallied past the Chicago Bulls, 84-77, on Monday at the United Center.

McGrady ended with a game-high 31 points, six rebounds and eight assists in the win over Chicago for the Rockets, who have won six of their last seven games overall. Juwan Howard had 16 points and nine boards, while Shane Battier contributed 12 points and Head netted 10 in the victory.

Houston continues to play without All-Star center Yao Ming, who leads the Rockets in scoring (25.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg). Yao suffered a non displaced fracture in a bone under his right knee during a 98-93 loss on December 23rd to the Los Angeles Clippers. He is expected to be sidelined into February. The Rockets are 6-2 without Yao.

The Rockets are 12-3 at home this season. After tonight’s contest, they will embark on a three-game road trip. Houston will visit Denver, Sacramento and Dallas on the upcoming swing.