So tonight marks game 3 of somewhat of a surprising Lakers / Rockets series thus far. Houston did their job by snagging the first game on the Lakers homecourt, and despite losing game 2, seemed to push some buttons and do enough on the physical side to get under the Lakers skin.
Game 3 tonight in Houston, where the Rockets are a much better team than on the road, so things could get interesting. Derek Fisher is out for the Lakers after totally leveling Skola in the last game, and arguments could even be made for a Kobe suspension after he totally got away with that viscious elbow on Ron Artest in Game 2.
Even with Fisher out of the line up, I feel Houston is still an underdog. They need to keep up the physical pace they set in Game 2, forcing the Lakers to play a style that they aren't neccessarily accustomed to. They need to utilize Yao Ming, and hope Ron Artest can shoot at the same clip he did in the last game. If Aaron Brooks gets going and starts hitting jump shots, the Rockets have a fighting chance.
On the Lakers side, they need to keep playing the same brand of basketball that they've been playing all season. Stick to their guns, and realize Kobe may have a little bit more trouble knocking down fall away jumpers on the road amidst the strong defense of Shane Battier. Look for Kobe to take it to the cup a lot more in this game and get himself to the free throw line. If the Lakers don't get caught up with all the poking and prauding which has been going on throughout the series I think they'll come out on top.
Game time is 9:30 Eastern Time on ESPN.
My Take: Lakers 98, Rockets 93
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