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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, November 15, 2009

NBA: Lakers booed at home in 101-91 loss to Rockets


BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES — Aaron Brooks scored a career-high 33 points, including five 3-pointers, and the Houston Rockets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 101-91 tonight, sending them to a second consecutive loss.

The NBA champion Lakers were coming off a 105-79 drubbing at Denver two nights earlier only to have another team they vanquished in last season's title run show them up at home, where they got booed.

Aussie David Andersen added a career-high 19 for the Rockets, who lost 103-102 at home in overtime in the teams' first meeting earlier this month.

Bryant scored 41 points in that game, but he had just 18 Sunday. Ron Artest, who went to Los Angeles around the time Trevor Ariza went to Houston in July, added 22 points. Andrew Bynum had 21 points and 11 rebounds.

The Lakers got a combined 12 points out of starters Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher.

Ariza received his NBA championship ring from Bryant and Fisher before the game, which may have accounted for his first-half performance. He was 1 for 10 from the floor and 1 of 6 from 3-point range. He finished with nine points, well off his team-leading 19.4 average.

Andersen scored Houston's first six points of the fourth, pushing their lead to 86-73 while fans booed the home team. The Lakers couldn't get a sustained run going, twice turning the ball over on offensive fouls by Bynum and Odom.

Houston finished 16 of 19 from the line and shot 42 from the floor. The Lakers hit 38 percent from the field, with Bryant going 5 of 20.

Brooks sat out much of the fourth, but he wasn't needed. Carl Landry ran off six in a row before Brooks returned to make 1 of 2 free throws for a 97-84 lead that sent fans heading for the exits.

Brooks' personal 10-0 run gave the Rockets a 76-68 lead late in the third and seemingly took the life out of the Lakers. He completed a four-point play after getting fouled by Fisher and hit two more 3s.

Andersen scored 13 points in the second, when the Rockets tied the game twice and took a two-point lead before trailing 54-52 at the break.

Bryant and Artest carried the Lakers to an 18-6 lead before Brooks' and Budinger's shooting rallied the Rockets within six points after the first quarter.