LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant needed only three quarters to score 26 points and the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back from their Game 4 flop, routing the Houston Rockets, 118-78, last night to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

The top-seeded Lakers did everything they didn't do in Sunday's 99-87 loss at Houston — hustled, rebounded and played tight defense on Houston's smaller lineup, keeping Aaron Brooks in check and limiting wide-open shots.

On Sunday the Lakers trailed by 29 points. Last night, they had a 29-point lead by late in the second quarter, on a 3-pointer by Bryant, who led seven Lakers in double figures.

The Lakers can wrap up the series tomorrow night in Houston.

"We've got to stay focused and understand that the effort we gave tonight is not going to be enough on Thursday. It's just not," Bryant said. "We're not playing some chump team. I don't care how many people they have out. This is a tough team, it's a tough team full of competitors."

The Rockets played their second game without Yao Ming, who sustained a season-ending stress fracture in his left foot in Game 3.

Bryant looked more like himself after being held to 15 points on Sunday. With the Lakers far ahead after holding the Rockets to only 15 points in each of the second and third quarters, he sat out the fourth period.

"We played just the opposite we did the last game," Houston coach Rick Adelman said. "We turned it over in the first half, shot it poorly. We said if we turn it over against this team we're going to be in big trouble. That's exactly what we did."

CELTICS 92, MAGIC 88

BOSTON — Ray Allen's 3-pointer with 1:20 left gave Boston its first lead since the opening minutes and the Celtics beat Orlando to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Stephon Marbury scored all of his 12 points in the fourth quarter, keeping the Celtics in the game after a lackluster 36 minutes that left them trailing by 14 with 8:49 to play.

Boston's Paul Pierce had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, Kendrick Perkins grabbed 11 rebounds, and Game 4 hero Glen "Big Baby" Davis scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter.