3/11/09 Lakers @ Rockets Pre-Game

The Houston Rockets have its big challenge coming into Toyota Center Wednesday night.

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are in town to snap a Rockets 12-game home winning streak.

Houston (42-23) are the second hottest team in the league behind Utah and have played great at home for more than a month and the Lakers look to end that tonight, coming in tied with the best record in the NBA (50-13, with Cleveland).

The Rockets have shot well, played great defense and finally found an identity, which it has been looking for this season.

Everyone wants to keep pointing at Tracy McGrady's season-ending micro-fracture surgery as the turning point, and as well as they should, but when Ron Artest got healthy is when the season turned around.

Sure not having a set lineup before tipoff may have caused confusion among the players, but more so a non-gimp Artest sure does help limiting other teams best player and establish physical play.

Luis Scola has also been huge for the Rockets. You can pencil him in for a double-double almost every night. It's all the more impressive that Scola gets those double-doubles without having plays run through him.

Scola is the scrappy player teams need to win.

The most impressive part about Scola's game is the improvement he's made over the offseason. His defense is vastly better, his jumpers have been more consistent and he doesn't give up on a play until it's dead.

The Lakers will be without forward Lamar Odom for tonights game because he left the bench in Los Angeles' last game Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Blazer forward Rudy Fernandez had a clear break towards the basket when Trevor Ariza came from behind and hit Fernandez in the head and Fernandez's body contorted and flailed to the ground.

The Rockets cannot let Bryant beat them. Make Gasol put up 25 points or Derek Fisher or Jordan Farmer. Bryant cannot get off to a good start, or Houston's in for a long night.

Also the Rockets need to establish Yao Ming from the get go and don't stop attacking Gasol and the rest of the Laker front court. Get the Lakers in foul trouble and get to the line.

The Rockets should come out with another win, but it's going to be tough. Houston really needs to learn to hold on to leads in the fourth quarter if they want to be considered elite.