Los Angeles - Kobe Bryant kept his cool while others around him were losing theirs. Bryant scored 40 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 111-98 on Wednesday night to level their Western Conference semifinal series at one-game-apiece.
"It was a good physical game, its playoff basketball and the intensity is elevated a little bit more," Bryant said. "There's a lot at stake, we are being tested and this is fun."
Spanish native Pau Gasol had 22 points with 14 rebounds, Derek Fisher added 12 points for the Lakers, who avoided falling into an 0-2 hole with Game Three at Houston on Friday night.
Ron Artest scored 25, and Carl Landry added a career playoff high 21 for Houston, which received just 12 points and 10 rebounds from China's Yao Ming in 26 foul-plagued minutes.
The chippy contest was marred by five technical fouls, while Fisher and Artest were ejected on separate plays in the second half as emotions overheated.
Argentine Luis Scola of the Rockets, Lamar Odom and Lakers teammate Luke Walton were hit with technicals for jawing at each other in the final seconds of the third quarter. Moments later, Fisher was done for the night after flooring Scola with an elbow while attempting to set a pick.
"I knew they were going to run a high screen and roll and my intent was to run through the pick hard, Fisher said. "When I turned to take off and run, he wasn't as close to me as I thought. By the time I ran into him my arm was up higher than it normally would have been.
"The intent was to give a good hard foul with no intent to injure or hurt anyone."
With the Lakers ahead 94-84, Artest complained that Bryant had elbowed him in the neck while fighting for a rebound. When he ran over to Bryant to let him know, the Lakers star threw up his hands up, walked away and Artest was finished.
"I knew I was going to get a technical foul. The point was to let the refs know this guy was elbowing me," Artest explained.
"I know I went over there with no punches, no shoves to the face, just a confrontation. I went to tell Kobe to relax,'You are hitting the wrong person. Don't you know you are hitting Ron Artest?' I'm not retaliating, I'm done with that."
Said Rockets coach Rick Adelman, "We got a split here and it's our job to control it at home. I know one thing, we are going to play basketball, and we are not backing down from anybody."
Elsewhere: Boston Celtics 112, Orlando Magic 94 Sharpshooting Eddie House fired in a playoff career-high 31 points off the bench, Rajon Rondo collected his third triple-double of the post-season with 15 points, 18 assists and 11 rebounds, as the Celtics routed the visiting Magic to level their Eastern Conference series at one-game apiece.
"This was a big game, we needed it to even the series," said House, who made 11-of-14 from the floor, including all four three-pointers in only 27 minutes. "Tonight, the guys were finding me in rhythm and I was knocking down shots."
Ray Allen scored 22, Kendrick Perkins added 16 with nine rebounds as the reigning NBA Champions Celtics sidestepped an 0-2 hole, on a night when Paul Pierce had just three points in 16 foul-plagued minutes.
Rashard Lewis scored 17, while Dwight Howard had 12 with 12 rebounds for the Magic, who heads home to host Game Three on Friday night after stealing the opener, despite nearly blowing a 28-point lead.
"It was an absolutely dominating performance by them," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "But the difference in the game was Eddie House. He had an unbelievable night."
After a scoreless first-half showing in Game One, Rondo was back running the Celtics, who in turn ran the Magic out of sold out TD Banknorth Garden.
"The entire Game One loss I put on myself, because I didn't come out with the same passion to start the game," he said. "I wanted to come out and make a point tonight. I wanted to attack and keep the defence on their heels for 48 minutes."
Rondo provided the energy and created the shots for his teammates. The speedy guard had 12 assists, carrying the Celtics to a 61-46 halftime advantage.
House caught fire with 20 points after intermission, including a jumper in the final minute of the third quarter, that triggered a slap in the back of the head from Orlando's Rafer Alston.
"He was having a good night, and they were kicking our behinds," said Alston, who is expected to be handed a league-suspension. "But he shot the elbow in my stomach and it was a natural reaction."
House wasn't buying it: "All I did was hit a shot, turn the other way and I got hit upside the head," he said. "That's what happens when you start bustin' somebody's butt. They resort to bush-league tactics.
"We are above that," he continued. "We are going to play basketball, and keep trying to put wins on the board."
